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.
Cagliari are 18th, in the relegation zone, with 14 points.
Inter have now won five straight away matches without conceding a goal, their third time in a single Serie A season in club history and the first time since the 1966-67 season.
The first half was balanced, with Inter controlling possession but creating few clear chances, while Cagliari defended well.
Inter created the first big chance just minutes after kickoff when Marcus Thuram unleashed a volley that Cagliari keeper Simone Scuffet managed to deflect to safety.
Martinez came close around the half-hour mark when a cross from Calhanoglu sailed past everyone but the diving header went narrowly wide from almost on the line.
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.
Minutes after Bastoni's goal, Martinez came close again when he was played into space near the box, but his angled drive narrowly missed the post, denying Inter a second goal.
In the 71st minute, Martinez finally 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 Inter captain had not scored in any competition at club level since Nov. 3, when he netted the only goal in a 1-0 win over Venezia.
"For us it was important to come away with a positive result: of course, the goal is important, but even more so is that the team wins," Martinez told streaming service DAZN.
"We work hard every day to bring trophies to Inter and anyone who sets foot on the pitch will give his all for the team."
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.
Atalanta's winning streak ends in 1-1 draw at Lazio
Atalanta's winning streak in Serie A ended with a 1-1 draw at Lazio on Saturday, as Fisayo Dele-Bashiru's first-half goal for the hosts was cancelled out by a late equaliser from Marco Brescianini.
The result ended Atalanta's streak of 11 consecutive victories but Gian Piero Gasperini's side are still top of the table with 41 points, one ahead of Inter Milan who won 3-0 at Cagliari earlier on Saturday.
Lazio are fourth with 35 points.
Lazio started aggressively in the opening minutes, with Atalanta keeper Marco Carnesecchi saving a double chance from Valentin Castellanos before Matteo Guendouzi capped the attack by sending a long-range effort off the post.
Atalanta had their first big chance around the 20-minute mark when Davide Zappacosta sent a low volley that skimmed the outside of the far post.
After dominating the first half, Lazio were rewarded in the 27th minute when Nicolo Rovella played a high through ball to Dele-Bashiru, who cut inside the box and sent a bouncing volley into the net to break the deadlock.
"The most important chances came in the second half. If we had scored earlier, we would have had more opportunities to turn the game around after a very difficult first half where Lazio deserved their lead," Gasperini told DAZN streaming services.
"We couldn’t handle their intensity, with all their players pressing hard. We struggled to win the ball back. On their goal, they were quicker than us in midfield.
"It took us a while to find our footing. Partly due to our shortcomings and largely because of their quality, we suffered a lot in the first half. Then in the second half, we played a different game."
After Lazio's goal, Atalanta grew into the match, with Ademola Lookman forcing the hosts' keeper Ivan Provedel into a fingertip save just after the hour mark.
Lazio had a chance to effectively seal the match when a cross from a counterattack went past the still-reorganizing Atalanta defence, but Boulaye Dia failed to connect with the ball, unmarked in front of the goal.
Atalanta might have equalised minutes later when a corner landed at the feet of an unmarked Lookman just in front of goal, but defender Luca Pellegrini cleared the attempt off the line.
The thrilling final act of the match continued as Dia found an opportunity to double Lazio's lead moments later, sending a powerful strike towards Carnesecchi, who managed to push it away.
The visitors earned their draw when Brescianini easily tapped in an open goal from short distance two minutes before full-time, after Lookman served him from the left past Provedel.
"It was a tough match, the first half was very difficult for us, but we fought and on another day might’ve won the game. We drew today, but we didn’t lose, so it’s positive,” Lookman said to Sky Sports Italia.
"The club had a fantastic 2024, so we want to continue doing the same thing and the new year will be even better."
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