Arnautovic goal helps Inter Milan beat Cagliari in Serie A
Marko Arnautovic scored one and set up another as Inter Milan prepared for its Champions League quarterfinal against Bayern Munich with a morale-boosting 3-1 win over Cagliari in Serie A.
Lautaro MartÃnez and Yann Bisseck also scored for the Serie A leader to help it move six points clear of Napoli, which hosts relegation-threatened Empoli on Monday. Cagliari was six points above the drop zone. Inter coach Simone Inzaghi kept the squad rotation at a minimum despite Wednesday’s crucial match at San Siro, where the Nerazzurri will have a 2-1 lead from the first leg last week.
And Inter got off to the ideal start in the 13th minute. Carlos Augusto chested down Hakan Çalhanoglu’s ball over the top towards Lautaro but instead Arnautovic pounced on it and smashed it into the roof of the net.
Lautaro did get his goal 13 minutes later when an intelligent pass from Arnautovic sent the Argentine World Cup winner racing clear through on goal and he dinked it over the onrushing Elia Caprile.
Inter gifted Cagliari a way back shortly after halftime as Roberto Piccoli was left completely unmarked to head in a goal for Cagliari. But Bisseck headed in a corner seven minutes later.
Dusan Vlahovic provided two assists to help Juventus beat relegation-threatened Lecce 2-1 and strengthen its hopes of qualifying for the Champions League.
Juventus moved into third place, a point ahead of Atalanta, which hosts Bologna on Sunday in a direct battle for the top four. Bologna is only a point below Atalanta and two above Lazio ahead of the capital derby against seventh-placed Roma — also on Sunday.
In Turin, it took Juventus less than 100 seconds to open the scoring. Vlahovic controlled a through ball from Khéphren Thuram and weighed his pass perfectly to send Teun Koopmeiners into the left side of the area for an angled drive into the far bottom corner.
Lecce almost responded immediately but Nikola Krstovic’s effort came off the right post.
Instead it was Juventus which doubled its lead in the 33rd with a delightful team goal. Thuram played a one-two with Kenan Yildiz and then passed to Vlahovic who touched it on for Yildiz to fire into the bottom right corner.
Lecce captain Federico Baschirotto headed into the bottom left corner three minutes from time but it proved just a consolation for the visitors.
SURVIVAL BOOST
Venezia boosted its hopes of avoiding the drop with a crucial 1-0 win over bottom club Monza, which seems ever more likely to be relegated.
Daniel Fila netted his first goal for Venezia, since joining the Italian club from Slavia Prague in February.
Fila was also sent off in stoppage time following a second yellow card.
Venezia moved level with Empoli, two points from safety. Monza remained 11 points below 17th-placed Lecce, with just six rounds remaining.
