Striker Lautaro Martinez hits hat-trick as Inter Milan crush Salernitana to go top of Serie A

Inter returned to winning ways in style as they reclaimed top spot in Serie A with an emphatic 5-0 win over basement side Salernitana as Lautaro Martinez netted a hat-trick and Edin Dzeko grabbed a double. Without a goal since December, Lautaro netted twice in a one-sided first half and grabbed his treble after the restart as the Nerazzurri emerged victorious in a league game for the first time since January 22. Ad/> Dzeko was also back amongst the goals, grabbing a brace in five minutes to turn 3-0 into 5-0.

Coppa ItaliaHonours even after drab Coppa Italia semi-final first leg between Milan clubs01/03/2022 AT 19:16 Martinez went agonisingly close in the 19th-minute when he was released by Nicolo Barella but could only watch as his volley cannoned off the crossbar. He would make no mistake three minutes later when, again ushered through by Barella, he timed his run to perfection to slot it past the helpless Luigi Sepe. It was the first time Inter had found the net since February 12 and it prompted the floodgates to open.

Serie A table Serie A fixtures / results Serie A top scorers Five minutes before half-time, Martinez grabbed his brace. Barella was pulling all the strings and it was his perfectly weighted pass that again found his team mate, who held off his marker before finding the bottom corner with a precise finish. Suddenly everything Martinez touched was turning to gold and the hat-trick arrived in the 56th-minute, his first-time shot from Dzeko's cross rifling into the top corner.