Inter Milan captain Lautaro Martínez delivered yet another commanding performance as the reigning Serie A champions brushed aside Lazio 3-0 on Saturday, using the fixture as a final tune-up before Wednesday’s Italian Cup final against the same opponents at the Stadio Olimpico.
Martínez opened the scoring in the sixth minute, volleying home from close range after Marcus Thuram nodded on a long throw-in. The Argentine forward also played a key role in the second goal, combining cleverly with Andy Diouf before rolling the ball across for Petar Sucic to curl a precise finish into the top corner just before halftime.
Romagnoli Red Card Kills Lazio’s Hopes
Any hope of a Lazio comeback was ended in the 59th minute when defender Alessio Romagnoli received a red card for a dangerous, studs-up challenge on Ange-Yoan Bonny. Henrikh Mkhitaryan then wrapped up the result for Inter, completing a comfortable evening for Simone Inzaghi’s side.
Martínez now leads Serie A’s top scorer chart with 17 goals, four ahead of teammate Thuram, with just three rounds remaining in the season.
Title Race and Relegation Drama Elsewhere
In other Saturday fixtures, Dusan Vlahovic struck after just 12 seconds as Juventus defeated relegation-threatened Lecce 1-0 — the fastest Serie A goal for the Turin club since records began in 2004. Juventus climbed to third, one point above AC Milan. Meanwhile, Cagliari’s 2-0 home defeat to Udinese was overshadowed by racism allegations after the final whistle, with Udinese forward Keinan Davis accusing Cagliari defender Alberto Dossena of a racial slur — a charge Dossena denied.