The Albany Gazette - Inter close in on Serie A title by thumping Roma

Closest challengers AC Milan travel to champions Napoli on Monday with both bidding to see who might stop Inter from securing a 21st league crown.

But the return of Lautaro Martinez, who scored twice after nearly two months out injured, and a first club goal since early February from Marcus Thuram helped Inter emphatically end a mini-slump.

Inter had collected eight points from their five league matches played since Martinez suffered a calf injury against Bodo/Glimt in the Champions League.

"Tonight was a big match for us... we had to come out with the right attitude and personality," said Martinez

"I'm happy for my teammates, because it was the win we deserved."

Hakan Calhanoglu's swerving rocket on the stroke of half-time and a second league goal of the season from Nicolo Barella made sure of a win which was also another blow to Roma's Champions League hopes.

Roma sit sixth, three points behind Como who are fourth and visit Udinese in Monday's early match, and level with fifth-placed Juventus ahead of the Turin giants' home fixture with Genoa.

"It was game of two halves, in the first I saw a lot of good things, even if the final result makes everything look different," said Roma coach Gian Piero Gasperini.

"Losing in Milan to this Inter team can happen, even if it shouldn't be by such a margin."

Inter are a different team with captain Martinez, and the Argentina striker smashed Inter ahead from Marcus Thuram's neat pass with barely a minute on the clock at the San Siro.

Calhanoglu's ferocious strike from more than 30 metres put Inter back ahead on the stroke of half-time, just as Roma seemed to be heading into the tunnel level following Gianluca Mancini's header in the 40th minute.

That goal galvanised Inter who came out for the second half as fast as they did for the first, and the match was as good as over 10 minutes after the restart thanks to Martinez and Thuram.

Martinez calmly stroked home his 16th league goal of the season in the 52nd minute from another Thuram pass, who moments later glanced in a perfect header from Calhanoglu's corner.

Barella made the most of more sloppy Roma defending just after the hour, bundling through before firing home the fifth which made Lorenzo Pellegrini's smart low finish for Roma in the 70th minute a mere consolation effort.

At the other end of the table Cremonese slipped into the relegation zone after being beaten 2-1 by Bologna while Pisa slid closer to the drop with a 1-0 home defeat against Torino.

(C.Young--TAG)