Inter Beat Cremonese 2-0 To Extend Serie A Lead As Martinez And Zielinski Score

Inter strengthened control of the Serie A title race with a routine 2-0 victory over Cremonese at Stadio Giovanni Zini, opening an eight-point cushion at the summit. Lautaro Martinez and Piotr Zielinski

struck before half-time, and Simone Inzaghi’s side then managed the game calmly as Cremonese created few clear chances in the second period.

The early stages brought some nervous moments for Inter, yet Cremonese could not take advantage. Francesco Pio Esposito directed a soft header at Emil Audero, then Petar Sucic and Martinez both missed the target from range. Those let-offs proved costly for Cremonese once Inter settled and imposed longer spells of possession.

Martinez’s opener carried extra meaning beyond the three points for Inter in Serie A. The forward registered a 13th league goal this season, already the team’s best tally, and at the same time reached 128 Serie A goals for the club, drawing level with Alessandro Altobelli in Inter’s all-time league scoring chart.

Only three Inter figures now sit above Martinez in that Serie A list. Giuseppe Meazza leads with 197 league goals, followed by Benito Lorenzi on 138 and Stefano Nyers with 133. With Inter chasing another Serie A crown, Martinez continues to deliver decisive moments and now moves closer to those long-standing club records.

Inter’s control over Cremonese showed clearly in the match statistics. The visitors enjoyed 69.1% possession and produced 15 attempts, which were worth 1.34 expected goals. Cremonese managed nine shots and 0.6 expected goals, underlining how rarely Inter allowed dangerous situations, especially after building a comfortable first-half advantage.

The breakthrough arrived in the 16th minute from a familiar Inter pattern in Serie A. Federico Dimarco swung in a driven corner from the left, and Martinez attacked the cross, powering a header past Audero. Minutes later, Federico Ceccherini dragged a chance wide, missing an opportunity to respond quickly and increase pressure on the league leaders.

Inter’s second goal followed just after the half-hour mark and gave Cremonese a steep climb. Luis Henrique cut inside from the right flank and slipped the ball to Zielinski, who unleashed a fierce strike from distance into the top-right corner, leaving Audero motionless and giving Inter a comfortable cushion before the interval.

Cremonese’s best spell came early in the second half after a defensive error. Yann Bisseck lost the ball and Federico Bonazzoli almost punished Inter, but Yann Sommer reacted sharply. Later, Alessio Zurbin clipped the outside of the post, while Dimarco saw a shot smothered following a counter-attack, as Inter closed out another controlled Serie A win.

The key numbers from Inter’s latest Serie A success can be summarised below.

Team	Goals	Shots	Expected Goals (xG)	Possession
Inter	2	15	1.34	69.1%
Cremonese	0	9	0.6	30.9%

Abbiamo vinto anche a Cremona pic.twitter.com/bPUALETlpqInter (@Inter) February 1, 2026

Inter’s professional display, highlighted by Martinez’s milestone and Zielinski’s long-range strike, extended the Serie A lead while limiting Cremonese to half chances. With possession control, defensive organisation and clinical first-half finishing, Inter left Stadio Giovanni Zini with a clear statement of strength in this season’s title race.