Series A | Lazio 0-6 Inter: Holders send big message with tennis score

On December 17, 2024By Littum

epa11781491 Niccolo Barella of Inter Milan scores the 0-3 goal during the Italian Serie A soccer match between SS Lazio and FC Inter, in Rome, Italy, on December 16, 2024. EPA-EFE/ALESSANDRO DI MEO

Inter sent a signal in the Scudetto race with a dominant 6-0 win away to in-form Lazio, including a sensational Nicolò Barella screamer from distance.

Both teams were on 31 points, although the Nerazzurri had a game in hand, so this was a title showdown. Taty Castellanos was suspended with Alessio Romagnoli and Matias Vecino injured, so Tijjani Noslin came in for a team fresh from Thursday’s 3-1 win away to Ajax. The Nerazzurri were fragile after their second defeat of the season, 1-0 in the Champions League at Bayer Leverkusen, with Francesco Acerbi and Benjamin Pavard ruled out.

See how it developed on the Liveblog.

Nuno Tavares made two tackles to see his shot deflected into the arms of Yann Sommer, then Noslin volleyed over from 12 yards from a Nicolò Rovella cross from the right and Federico Dimarco made a crucial block on Mattia Zaccagni after making three tackles .

There was a problem for Lazio when Mario Gila went off injured to make way for Samuel Gigot.

He was immediate as Inter had the ball in the net from a corner when Ivan Provedel parried Denzel Dumfries’ header into the path of Stefan de Vrij, but Lautaro Martinez was offside. VAR also saw Dumfries nod it onto Gigot’s wrist so Hakan Calhanoglu converted a penalty to give them the lead.

Inter added a second moments later when Dumfries lifted a cross to the back post for his second wing-back Dimarco’s cushioned left-foot volley from nine yards.

ROME, ITALY - DECEMBER 16: Federico Dimarco of FC Internazionale celebrates scoring his team's second goal during the Serie A match between SS Lazio and FC Internazionale at Stadio Olimpico on December 16, 2024 in Rome, Italy. (Photo by Paolo Bruno/Getty Images) — ROME, ITALY – DECEMBER 16: Federico Dimarco of FC Internazionale celebrates scoring his team’s second goal during the Serie A match between SS Lazio and FC Internazionale at Stadio Olimpico on December 16, 2024 in Rome, Italy. (Photo by Paolo Bruno/Getty Images)

Things went from bad to worse for Lazio, also losing Gigot to a blow to the back of the head during the penalty incident, moving Adam Marusic to a temporary central defensive role.

The Nerazzurri went 3-0 up with a sensational strike from Barella, who controlled the Calhanoglu pass, flicked it up with his left foot and smashed the simply unstoppable right-footed half-volley into the top corner from 23 yards out.

Moments later it was 4-0 as Nuno Tavares was caught napping as Dumfries crept up behind him to head home Alessandro Bastoni’s cross.

Barella could have had a fifth but instead opted for a flick back as he was sent through by Marcus Thuram’s counter-attack.

Carlos Augusto helped win the ball back from Loum Tchaouna in the final third, then was on hand to meet the return pass from Dimarco to score from a tight angle after a cheeky quality turn.

Piotr Zielinski ballooned over the bar from nine yards on the Thuram pull-back from the touchline.

Thuram instead made it 6-0 himself, twisting and turning to confuse makeshift centre-back Marusic and blast into the bottom corner.