The Japan Times - Inter thump Roma to extend Serie A lead to nine points

Closest challengers AC Milan travel to champions Napoli on Monday with both bidding to see who might stop Inter from securing a 21st league crown.

But the return of Lautaro Martinez, who scored twice after nearly two months out injured, and a first club goal since early February from Marcus Thuram helped Inter emphatically end a mini-slump.

Hakan Calhanoglu's swerving rocket on the stroke of half-time and a second league goal of the season from Nicolo Barella made sure of a win which was also another blow to Roma's Champions League hopes.

Roma sit sixth, three points behind Como who are fourth and visit Udinese in Monday's early match, and level with fifth-placed Juventus ahead of the Turin giants' home fixture with Genoa.

Inter are a different team with captain Martinez, and the Argentina striker smashed Inter ahead from Marcus Thuram's neat pass with barely a minute on the clock at the San Siro.

Calhanoglu's ferocious strike from more than 30 metres put Inter back ahead on the stroke of half-time, just as Roma seemed to be heading into the tunnel level following Gianluca Mancini's header in the 40th minute.

Inter came out for the second half as fast as they did the first, and the match was as good as over 10 minutes after the restart thanks to Martinez and Thuram.

Martinez calmly stroked home his 16th league goal of the season in the 52nd minute from another Thuram pass, who moments later glanced in a perfect header from Calhanoglu's corner.

Barella made the most of more sloppy Roma defending just after the hour, bundling through before firing home the fifth which made Lorenzo Pellegrini's smart low finish for Roma in the 70th minute a mere consolation effort.

M.Sugiyama--JT