Inter dispatch Cagliari 3-0 to keep pace at Serie A summit

CAGLIARI, Italy : Inter Milan secured a 3-0 win at Cagliari on Saturday, with a dominant second half that saw goals from Alessandro Bastoni, Lautaro Martinez and Hakan Calhanoglu, keeping them in stride at the top of Serie A.

Inter share top spot with Atalanta, both on 40 points, with the Bergamo club set to play at Lazio later on Saturday.

Bastoni broke the deadlock for Inter after 53 minutes when he headed in a cross from almost the byline, sending the ball in a near-perfect loop that dipped just under the bar.

In the 71st minute, Martinez got his goal when a corner found Nicolo Barella, who sent the ball back into the box, allowing the Argentine to slide in and volley it home to double Inter's lead.

The match was then effectively decided in the 78th minute when Calhanoglu converted a penalty to give Inter their third goal, following a handball by Cagliari's Mateusz Wieteska.