Late goals from Giovanni Di Lorenzo and Gianluca Gaetano guided Serie A champions Napoli to a 3-1 win over 10-man Inter, denting the Nerazzurri's bid for a top-four finish.

Simone Inzaghi named a much-changed team with one eye on Wednesday's Coppa Italia final against Fiorentina, and Inter's task was made more difficult when Roberto Gagliardini was dismissed after picking up two first-half bookings.

Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa broke Inter's resistance when he fired home on the turn, but Romelu Lukaku looked to have stolen a point with a close-range finish eight minutes from time.

Napoli were determined to continue their Scudetto celebrations with another win, however, Di Lorenzo firing into the top-left corner before Gaetano struck on the break to leave Inter vulnerable in the top-four battle.

Inter's great week continued as Romelu Lukaku scored a brilliant double in a 4-2 win over Sassuolo at San Siro on Saturday.

With one foot in the Champions League final after Wednesday's 2-0 first-leg victory over city rivals Milan, Inter took advantage of the Rossoneri losing at Spezia to put even more space between the two sides in Serie A.

Lukaku put the hosts ahead when he arrowed in from distance before Ruan put through his own net, while Lautaro Martinez scored via a deflection as the Nerazzurri earned a seventh straight win in all competitions.

Matheus Henrique and Davide Frattesi pulled goals back for the mid-table visitors, but Lukaku smashed in a fourth for Simone Inzaghi's men late on as they move up to third and crucially five points above Milan in fifth, putting them in the driver's seat to seal Champions League qualification with three games to play.

A VAR review came to Inter's rescue early on, ruling Armand Lauriente offside after his cross was poked home at the back post by Domenico Berardi.

The hosts had a goal of their own ruled out minutes later, Andrea Consigli unable to keep out Joaquin Correa's effort only for the offside flag to curtail the celebrations.

Henrique and Frattesi spurned golden opportunities to put the visitors ahead, and they were made to pay for those misses as Lukaku's long-range drive flew into the top corner four minutes before half-time.

Martinez came on at the break as Inter pressed to double their lead, and they would do exactly that when Ruan sliced Raoul Bellanova's cross-shot into his own net.

The hosts received another huge slice of luck to make it 3-0 before the hour mark, Martinez seeing his effort hit the beleaguered Ruan and completely wrong-foot Consigli before nestling in.

Sassuolo narrowed the deficit through late headers by Henrique and Frattesi but Lukaku would seal the win when he coolly fired past Consigli from Marcelo Brozovic's pass to make the points safe.

Inter kept themselves on course for a top-four finish in Serie A after they defeated Roma 2-0 in an ill-tempered clash on Saturday.

The Nerazzurri seized a first-half lead through Federico Dimarco's close-range finish before Romelu Lukaku's breakaway strike 16 minutes from time sealed the three points at Stadio Olimpico.

Ahead of a Champions League semi-final with arch-rivals Milan on Wednesday, Simone Inzaghi's team returned to the top four and boosted their hopes of qualifying for next season's competition.

For Jose Mourinho's Giallorossi however, defeat leaves them five points off the top four with just four games left to play, leaving them with an uphill battle in hand.

Several stoppages due to injuries meant chances were at a relative premium during a closely fought opening quarter.

Lukaku required treatment in the six-yard area shortly after Lorenzo Pellegrini went close, while Nicola Zalewski came off worse after taking a fast ball to the face.

But Inter took the lead just after the half-hour mark when Dimarco flicked a Denzel Dumfries ball into the net, via a handy deflection off Bryan Cristante.

Roma fought back and were incensed when Matteo Darmian escaped punishment for a handball in the box shortly before the hour mark, with tempers continuing to boil over.

Even so, the hosts still looked in the game, until a defensive misread from Roger Ibanez allowed their opponents to make the most of a long ball downfield.

Lautaro Martinez pounced on the loose ball, and played in Lukaku for a composed finish, ultimately sealing victory for Inter with just over a quarter of an hour to go.

Edin Dzeko and Lautaro Martinez headlined a spectacular Inter performance as they dismantled relegation-threatened Hellas Verona in a 6-0 victory in Serie A, scoring two goals apiece.

The Nerazzurri ran riot against their hosts at Stadio Marcantonio Bentegodi to boost their Champions League qualification prospects on Wednesday.

A long-range strike from Hakan Calhanoglu and an Adolfo Gaich own goal piled further misery on Verona, helping Simone Inzaghi's visitors move back above Atalanta into Serie A's top four.

The victory also proved an emphatic warm-up for their upcoming Champions League semi-final tie against rivals Milan, though for Verona and Marco Zaffaroni, it leaves them grasping at straws in their battle for safety.

Inter laid siege to the Verona box from the first whistle, though they had to wait half an hour for their opener, Gaich turning Federico Dimarco's cross into his own net following a string of great Lorenzo Montipo saves.

The attacker's calamitous intervention unlocked the floodgates for the Nerazzurri, who doubled their lead six minutes later when Calhanoglu lofted a spectacular 30-yard effort into the top-left corner after he was left unmarked. 

A prompt error from the restart by Verona allowed Martinez to capitalise, sending Dzeko away on the break for a smooth finish, and the visitors had effectively sealed the game before half-time had even come into view.

There was more punishment to come for the hosts however, with Martinez offering just 10 minutes of respite after the interval before he chipped Montipo for the fourth to keep the onslaught going.

Dzeko nabbed his double shortly past the hour mark after sweeping home a low finish from a counter-attack, and Martinez joined him with a two-goal haul in the final seconds after a scrappy close-range effort.

Simone Inzaghi revelled in "one of the best games" of his Inter tenure after the Nerazzurri roared back from a goal down to beat Lazio in an absorbing contest at San Siro.

Inzaghi looked set to suffer defeat against his former club when Felipe Anderson fired the visitors ahead, but three goals in the final 13 minutes turned the game on its head.

Two one-on-one finishes from substitute Lautaro Martinez – coming either side of Robin Gosens' acrobatic strike – ensured Inter leapfrogged Milan and Roma to move into Serie A's top four.

Lazio's defeat had handed runaway leaders Napoli the opportunity to clinch their first Scudetto since the Diego Maradona era on Sunday, but Luciano Spalletti's men were made to wait after they could only draw 1-1 with Salernitana.

Inzaghi believed Inter's victory was richly deserved even after seeing them fall behind, telling Sky Sport in Italy: "This was one of the best games since I've been here.

"At the end of the first half, I told my players that they should continue to play like that. We were down but we had put in a great performance after a very busy Wednesday.

"Let's not forget that we were playing against the team second in the table. Today, I saw a really beautiful Inter team."

Martinez's brace – his first in Serie A since January – was accompanied by a pair of assists from fellow striker Romelu Lukaku, who has started to hit form following a frustrating start to his loan spell.

With a huge Champions League semi-final tie against Milan to come, Inzaghi is unable to split his four forwards, with Edin Dzeko and Joaquin Correa also competing for a starting spot.

Asked which duo were ahead in the battle to start, Inzaghi said: "Inter's four starters at the moment are Lautaro, Lukaku, Correa and Dzeko. 

"If you look at the playing time of the last few games, they've alternated and given each other great satisfaction. 

"Right now we saw Lautaro's two great goals. If we didn't have to play like we did before December, we would always have had Lautaro like this.

"I have high hopes because he's an extraordinary guy, with the way he works."

Inter's Champions League hopes received a huge boost with a late comeback and a 3-1 win against Lazio in Serie A.

Felipe Anderson had given the visitors a first-half lead at San Siro, robbing Francesco Acerbi of possession and dispatching past Andre Onana.

Numerous chances for an equaliser went begging for the hosts in the second half, which looked set to result in yet another home loss for the Nerazzurri.

However, Martinez smashed home an equaliser after 77 minutes, with Robin Gosens putting his side ahead befre Martinez added further gloss to the scoreline in a rallying finish from Simone Inzaghi's men.

Giorgio Chiellini believes Inter "have an advantage" in their eagerly anticipated Champions League semi-final showdown with rivals Milan.

The Serie A giants face off in what promises to be a mouth-watering two-legged tie next month, with the winners playing either Manchester City or reigning champions Real Madrid in the final.

Juventus reached two Champions League finals during Chiellini's trophy-laden 18-year stint with the club, with the defender playing in a 2017 defeat to Real Madrid after missing 2015's loss to Barcelona through injury.

Ahead of the huge tie, Italy's Euro 2020-winning captain is backing three-time winners Inter to prevail.

"The Milan derby will be a balanced semi-final, but if I have to bet €1, I'll put it on Inter," he told Discod. 

"I think the Nerazzurri have an advantage because I see them stronger in this type of match."

The 38-year-old – now plying his trade with MLS franchise Los Angeles FC – also had his say on the other semi-final between Madrid and City, who are seeking their first continental triumph under Pep Guardiola.

"My prediction for this year's final is Inter-Manchester City," Chiellini added. "Here too, we are on a razor's edge because the other semi-finalist, Real Madrid, are also very strong.

"But I think that eventually Manchester City will have to reach the final sooner or later, so I would bet another €1 on the Inter-Manchester City final."

Simone Inzaghi hailed Inter for playing as a "real team" after the Nerazzurri battled past Juventus to reach the Coppa Italia final.

Federico Dimarco's first-half strike proved the difference as Inter defeated Juve 1-0 at San Siro on Wednesday, securing a 2-1 aggregate triumph in the semi-final tie.

Victory kept Inter's Coppa defence alive, having beaten Juve in last year's final, while the Nerazzurri are also in the Champions League semi-finals – where they face fierce rivals Milan.

Massimiliano Allegri's side offered little with a performance in stark contrast to a fiery first leg, and Inzaghi believes his side were good value for their triumph.

"It was an intense match from start to finish, we deserved to reach the final," the Inter coach told Mediaset. 

"We are very happy, we wanted to return to Rome [to the Stadio Olimpico for the May 24 final]."

Inter outclassed Allegri's visitors in all departments, with Juve mustering an expected goals tally of just 0.15 to the Nerazzurri's 1.19.

It also marked Inter's first Coppa semi-final victory over Juve in six attempts as the Nerazzurri reached the last four in back-to-back seasons for the first time since doing so between 2009 and 2011.

"They were very good, they had a great race tonight," Inzaghi said of his players. "We did not lose a yard against a strong team, we have remained united and compact, we have been a real team. 

"Whoever entered played his part. I take away many excellent points."

Dimarco was the hero in front of his home crowd, scoring his fifth goal in all competitions this season – only Achraf Hakimi (seven in 2020-21) has managed more in the last 10 seasons among Inter defenders.

The Inter left-back was quick to share the praise, though, pinpointing his team-mates' will to fight as the driving factor for their success.

Asked what the difference was for Inter, Dimarco told Mediaset: "There are no secrets. In this group everyone is fighting for the shirt and to show what they're worth."

"We played an excellent match. It was what we wanted and we achieved it with a good victory."

Federico Dimarco scored the only goal of the game as Inter kept their Coppa Italia defence on course with a 1-0 semi-final win over Juventus, securing a 2-1 aggregate triumph.

The Nerazzurri, who defeated Juve in last year's final, will face either Cremonese or Fiorentina – the latter leading 2-0 ahead of Thursday's second leg – in this season's showpiece on May 24 at Stadio Olimpico.

Inter headed into Wednesday's clash at San Siro with the semi-final tie finely poised at 1-1 after a fiery first leg, although Dimarco's neat first-half finish soon had Simone Inzaghi's hosts in control.

Edin Dzeko saw a strike ruled out for offside in the second half as Massimiliano Allegri's side crashed out of the Coppa with a whimper.

Inter started at a frenetic pace and should have taken a third-minute lead when Nicolo Barella's right-wing cross found Dzeko, who bundled wide at the back post.

Yet the hosts' early dominance was rewarded after 15 minutes as Dimarco coolly rolled into the bottom-left corner following Barella's delicate throughball.

A fine Andre Onana stop from Filip Kostic's arrowing drive was required to keep Inter's lead intact, while Mattia Perin denied a low Lautaro Martinez effort with an equally impressive save.

Another attempt from range by Fabio Miretti tested Onana after the interval, before Dzeko saw a driven finish chalked off for offside from Dimarco's pinpoint pass.

Perin thwarted Henrikh Mkhitaryan late on to limit the damage as Inter advanced into another Coppa final.

What does it mean? Inter alleviate Serie A concerns with more cup joy

Inter are facing a battle to finish in Italy's top four in Serie A for a place in Europe next season, but their cup exploits have kept the Nerazzurri faithful with reason to cheer.

Inzaghi's side are into the Champions League semi-finals, where they face fierce rivals Milan across a two-legged tie, while they remain on course to defend their Coppa Italia crown.

Juve, meanwhile, may have been buoyed by the reversal of their 15-point deduction in Serie A, but the Europa League now represents the Bianconeri's only chance of silverware this season.

Deadly Dimarco

Dimarco continues to be an unlikely source of goals for Inter this season, chipping in with the opener for his fifth strike in all competitions – four of those assisted by Barella.

Across the last 10 seasons for Inter, Achraf Hakimi (seven goals in 2020-21) is the only defender to manage more than Dimarco's tally in the 2022-23 campaign.

Strikerless plan fails for Allegri

Allegri opted to start without a recognised striker, leaving his only out-and-out number nine Arkadiusz Milik on the bench after choosing Federico Chiesa to play up top with Angel Di Maria.

The Juve coach soon introduced Milik at half-time but that did little to improve the Bianconeri's fortunes as they rarely tested Onana in a timid showing that belied their gutsy first-leg performance.

What's next?

Inter return to Serie A action at home to Lazio on Sunday, when Juventus visit Bologna.

Romelu Lukaku scored twice and assisted another as Inter snapped a five-game winless run in Serie A with a 3-0 victory against lowly Empoli at Stadio Carlo Castellani on Sunday.

Inter booked their place in the Champions League semi-finals in midweek, but their poor domestic form – coupled with Juventus' points reprieve – had seen them drop to sixth. 

Simone Inzaghi's heavily rotated side took time to get going against Empoli, but Lukaku gave them a 48th-minute lead with his first league goal from open play since August.

Lukaku fired in another in the 76th minute and then teed up substitute Lautaro Martinez late on to seal the points that lift Inter up to fifth – temporarily at least – and within two points of fourth-placed Roma, who face Atalanta on Monday.

Samir Handanovic was one of those recalled between Inter's two cup ties and was equal to efforts from Nicolo Cambiaghi and Tommaso Baldanzi in the opening 20 minutes.
 
Roberto Gagliardini fired over from range as Inter struggled to create anything of note in a low-key first half, but Inter got their breakthrough three minutes into the second period.

Through his first sight of goal, Lukaku guided a precise shot away from Samuele Perisan into the bottom-left corner for just his fourth league strike of the campaign.

Empoli, now with just one win in 12 league games, offered little in response and fell further behind when Lukaku worked a yard of space and fired an angled shot past Perisan.

Lukaku was not finished there as he carried the ball forward and played in Martinez to convert from one-on-one and complete the routine victory.

Romelu Lukaku was dramatically cleared to face Juventus in the second leg of Inter's Coppa Italia semi-final as Italian football chiefs rescinded the red card he received for standing up to racist abuse.

An intervention on Saturday from the president of the Italian FA (FIGC), Gabriele Gravina, brought about the cancellation of Lukaku's second yellow card in the first leg of the Juventus tie.

That was despite the FIGC on Friday announcing the ban would stand, which was followed by an outraged response from Inter.

Inter reacted with dismay and "great sorrow" to Friday's ruling, saying it appeared Lukaku had been judged "the only guilty party" despite being the victim.

Gravina's decision to subsequently quash the verdict was warmly welcomed by Lukaku, who said in a statement on Inter's website: "I am really happy about this decision from the president of the FIGC, who has shown great sensitivity to the situation.

"I believe that thanks to his intervention, justice has been done and this sends out a great message to the whole world of sport and beyond. This has shown that the desire is there to fight racism."

The initial decision to uphold the red card and suspension had all the attributes of an embarrassing own goal for the FIGC amid efforts to show they take racism seriously.

Belgian striker Lukaku converted a penalty in the fifth minute of stoppage time to earn Inter a 1-1 draw in the semi-final first leg on April 4 at the Allianz Stadium.

He then used his finger to shush the home fans' vitriol and that reaction was deemed a bookable offence by referee Davide Massa. Lukaku had already been booked for a foul in the 80th minute, so the second yellow card saw him dismissed.

The Inter frontman, who is on loan from Chelsea, subsequently demanded action from Italian authorities after the latest case of him being targeted for abuse, while team-mate Edin Dzeko described the treatment from the Juventus fans as something "that should never happen".

FIFA president Gianni Infantino labelled the abuse "unacceptable" and called for those responsible to be punished.

A partial stadium closure was initially imposed on Juventus as a result of Lukaku being targeted, with the section from where the abuse came ordered to be shut for one game, but that decision was overturned, without an explanation being offered.

The second leg will take place on Wednesday at San Siro, and Inter head coach Simone Inzaghi will be relieved to have Lukaku available.

Saturday's apparent common sense decision from the FIGC was announced in a statement to Italian media, which announced Lukaku had been pardoned "in an exceptional and extraordinary way".

The FIGC statement added: "The principle of the fight against all forms of racism is a fundamental element of the sports system."

Inter reacted with dismay and "great sorrow" on Friday as the Italian FA refused to overturn the red card shown to Romelu Lukaku when he stood up to racist abuse against Juventus.

The Belgian striker converted a penalty in the fifth minute of stoppage time to earn Inter a 1-1 draw in the Coppa Italia semi-final first leg on April 4 at the Allianz Stadium.

He then used his finger to shush the home fans' vitriol and that reaction was deemed a bookable offence by referee Davide Massa.

Lukaku had already been booked for a foul in the 80th minute, so the second yellow card saw him dismissed.

The Inter frontman called for action from Serie A officials after being targeted for abuse, while team-mate Edin Dzeko described the treatment from the Juventus fans as something "that should never happen".

FIFA president Gianni Infantino labelled the abuse "unacceptable" and called for those responsible to be punished.

A partial stadium closure was initially imposed on Juventus as a result of Lukaku being targeted, with the section from where the abuse came ordered to be shut for one game, but that decision was overturned this week.

An appeal against Lukaku's punishment was submitted by Inter to the Italian FA – the FIGC – but that was rejected on Friday, meaning the on-loan Chelsea player must miss next Wednesday's second leg.

In a statement, Inter said: "The FIGC's National Court of Appeal today confirmed the suspension of Romelu Lukaku, who will be unable to participate in Wednesday's Coppa Italia semi-final.

"FC Internazionale Milano feels it must consolidate its support for the player and expresses great sorrow at the fact that the victim has become the only guilty party."

Manchester City are reportedly keeping a close eye on Chelsea midfielder Mateo Kovacic as a potential replacement for Ilkay Gundogan.

Kovacic, 28, has been a regular starter since arriving from Real Madrid in a £40million transfer back in 2019, but significant upheaval has seen him fighting for his spot in Chelsea's best XI.

With nine substitute appearances among his 23 Premier League outings this season, Kovacic's future at Stamford Bridge is up in the air as he prepares to enter the final year of his current contract.

While City are said to be serious about their pursuit of Borussia Dortmund star Jude Bellingham, it may not stop them making a move for Kovacic, who they purportedly believe could slide in seamlessly in Gundogan's place.

TOP STORY – CITY CONSIDER KOVACIC AS BELLINGHAM REMAINS THE PRIORITY

According to GiveMeSport, City are closely monitoring Kovacic's contract situation, and if no extension arrives he could be a prime candidate for Chelsea to ship off.

Further reporting from the Evening Standard adds that Chelsea are planning a "major overhaul" of their squad before June 30 in a race to comply with financial fair play rules.

That newspaper does not mention Kovacic as one of the likely departures, instead naming Christian Pulisic, Hakim Ziyech, Kalidou Koulibaly, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Conor Gallagher, Romelu Lukaku, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Mason Mount.

City are reportedly not dissuaded by Dortmund's asking price of around £125m for English super-prospect Bellingham, but there has been no indication the teenager would sign off on the move among interest from the world's biggest clubs.

ROUND-UP

– Calciomercato is reporting Napoli have marked 21-year-old Atlanta United winger and World Cup winner with Argentina Thiago Almada as their top transfer priority.

– According to Sport, Barcelona and Inter are in favour of a potential swap deal that would send 26-year-old midfielder Franck Kessie to Italy in return for 30-year-old Marcelo Brozovic.

– David de Gea is on the verge of signing a contract extension with Manchester United, per Forbes.

– Gazzetta dello Sport is reporting Chelsea, United and Paris Saint-Germain target Victor Osimhen will require a €150m (£132m) bid to pry away from Napoli.

– According to TalkSPORT, Aston Villa have renewed their interest in 22-year-old Arsenal talent Emile Smith Rowe after having a £30m bid turned down in 2021.

Inter defender Milan Skriniar has undergone back surgery and looks set to miss both legs of the Champions League semi-final derby against Milan.

The 28-year-old Slovakian, who is expected to join Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer at the end of the season, has not played since mid-March.

His last game was as a late substitute in the second leg of the Champions League last-16 tie with Porto on March 14.

Inter said in a statement: "Milan Skriniar underwent endoscopic surgery on his lumbar spine yesterday at the Clinique du Sport in Merignac.

"The Inter defender will follow a rehabilitation programme in the coming weeks."

Considering Inter are giving such details on Skriniar's recovery, his prospects of involvement in the games against Milan on May 10 and May 16 look bleak.

He may already have played his last game for the club.

Skriniar has been a key man for the Nerazzurri since his move from Sampdoria in 2017, and PSG made him a target last year before reportedly trying again in January to sign him up.

It is widely thought Skriniar will be on his way to Paris at the end of this campaign, having lost the matchday captaincy at Inter over the saga of his anticipated exit.

Inter head coach Simone Inzaghi admitted he had only previously dreamt about his team reaching the final four of the Champions League.

The Nerazzurri were drawn into what was considered a 'group of death' earlier in the tournament when they were put in with Bayern Munich and Barcelona, making it through as runners-up ahead of the LaLiga giants.

Inter beat Benfica 5-3 on aggregate following a 3-3 draw at San Siro in the quarter-finals on Wednesday, meaning they will face city rivals Milan in the semis for the first time since the 2002-03 season, while it will also be the first time the two will meet five times in one season.

"There is great happiness," Inzaghi said after the game. "We played a great game against a difficult team.

"We fully deserved this semi-final, which before was only a dream. I'm happy for the boys and for our progress. We started with a very difficult group with Barcelona and Bayern Munich. We work every day to experience these evenings."

Their passage to the semis of the Champions League for the first time since they won the competition in 2009-10 should relieve some pressure on Inzaghi, who has come in for criticism for the team's league form, having not won any of their last five games in Serie A, losing four.

"Critics aren't a problem," he insisted. "I know where they come from. Some speak well, some speak bad."

Federico Dimarco had a productive game down the Inter left against Benfica, providing six open-play crosses – twice as many as any other player – and claiming assists for Lautaro Martinez and Joaquin Correa after Nicolo Barella had earlier given the hosts the lead.

Roger Schmidt's men equalised Barella's goal through Frederik Aursnes, before late efforts from Antonio Silva and Petar Musa levelled things again.

"We're very happy, it's been many years since Inter made it to the semi-finals," Dimarco told Amazon Prime. "There's still one step left to get to the end.

"We played well, apart from some lack of attention for their goals. The assists? I worked all week for this, the important thing is that the team wins.

When asked about the prospect of facing Milan, he replied: "Let's think about the other matches first. I'm calm, there's still one step left for us to move forward."