Inter Milan delivered a resounding 6-0 victory over Lazio at the Stadio Olimpico, sending a clear message in the race for the Serie A title.
Level on points prior to kick-off, both sides had plenty to prove, but it was Simone Inzaghi's men who emerged dominant after a shaky start.
The hosts began brightly, with Nuno Tavares testing Yann Sommer early and Tijjani Noslin missing a golden chance to open the scoring.
Despite Lazio’s control in the opening half-hour, Inter responded decisively, striking twice just before halftime.The breakthrough came in controversial fashion.
Denzel Dumfries’ header forced Ivan Provedel into a save, and as chaos ensued, the referee awarded Inter a penalty after a VAR review for handball on Samuel Gigot.
Hakan Calhanoglu calmly converted from the spot, redeeming himself after his recent penalty miss against Napoli.
Minutes later, Inter doubled their lead with a stunning Federico Dimarco volley, courtesy of a perfectly weighted chip from Dumfries.
The second half was all Inter, and any hopes of a Lazio comeback were extinguished quickly. Nicolo Barella stole the show with a thunderous strike from 30 yards, while Dumfries added a bullet header to make it four.
Goals from Carlos Augusto and Marcus Thuram in the closing stages added the finishing touches to a night of sheer dominance.
This emphatic win not only closes the gap to leaders Atalanta to three points—with a game in hand—but also marks a historic result, as Lazio had been unbeaten at home in Serie A this season and had won nine of their previous 10 matches at the Olimpico.
For Lazio boss Marco Baroni, this may simply be a “bad night at the office.” For Inter, it was a ruthless display of their title credentials.