Inter Milan 4-2 Sassuolo – Romelu Lukaku nets brace as Inter record Serie A victory over Sassuolo

Romelu Lukaku scored twice as Inter Milan downed Sassuolo to all but secure a top-four Serie A finish for Simone Inzaghe’s side.

The Belgian striker opened the scoring four minutes before the break with a fantastic turn and shot from the edge of the area.

Two goals in four minutes seemed to put the game beyond reach as the luckless Ruan first deflected Raoul Bellanova’s cross into his own net, then helped Lautaro Martinez’s shot loop over Andrea Consigli before the hour mark.

Sassuolo kept fighting though and Domenico Berardi superbly created a goal for Matheus Henrique, then Davide Frattesi headed home Rogerio’s fine cross 13 minutes from time to make it a nervous end.

However, Lukaku scored a fine second with a minute on the clock to ensure victory which lifts them to third and a five-point lead over fifth-place AC Milan with three games remaining.

TALKING POINT

Lukaku must start Champions League final – It is an assumption Inter hold onto their two-goal advantage in the second leg on Tuesday granted. It may be Simone Inzaghi will not start him then after tonight’s exertions – and with Milan having in Fikayo Tomori a player with strength close to match the Belgian’s, but come the final in Istanbul he should be the first name on the team sheet. So far his move back to the Giuseppe Meazza has not come close to matching his fantastic first spell at the club. And while monetary matters suggest this will be his final month in Milan it is possible his best moment could be coming up. He has always been a player whose output fluctuates greatly depending on his confidence. Now with five goals in four domestic games he looks on. As well as Eden Dzeko played in the first leg and his ability to score big goals in big games, there is hardly a team in the world who would not want Lukaku starting while he is in this form.

PLAYER OF THE MATCH

Romelu Lukaku (Inter Milan) – The way he bullied Ruan in the moments before and after his opening goal show why the biggest clubs in the world have wanted to buy him. The confidence, bordering on arrogance he played the rest of the game was exemplified by the cool finish to seal the game.

PLAYER RATINGS

Inter: Handanovic 6; D’Ambrosio 6, De Vrij 6, Acerbi 6; Bellanova 6, Brozovic 7, Gagliardini 6, Mkhitaryan 7, Dimarco 7; Correa 5, Lukaku 9*.

Subs: Martinez 7, Asllani 6, Gosens 6, Bastoni 6, Darmian 6.

Sassuolo: Consigli 6; Toljan 5, Ruan 4, Erlic 6, Rogerio 7; Frattesi 7, Lopez 6, Matheus Henrique 7, Lauriente 7; Berardi 8, Defrel 5.

Subs: Bajrami 6, Penamonti 6, Ferrari 6, Zortea 6, Thorstvedt 6.

MATCH HIGHLIGHTS

11′ GOAL FOR SASSUOLO – NO! Are they going to do it again at the Sassuolo? Lauriente played a delicate ball from the left flank to the back post where Berardi slid in and volleyed home….It did not look offside from the camera angle but it has been ruled out for that. Feels harsh on the visitors.

15′ GOAL DISALLOWED FOR INTER! Dimarco was initially offside before he pulled back to Correa whose soft shot was let in by Consigli.

41′ GOAL FOR INTER! Lukaku at his best, he holds a regulation ball up to him on the edge of the box, using his strength to feel and then turn Ruan before blasting the ball from outside the area into the roof of the net,

55′ GOAL FOR INTER! Own goal from Ruan. Bellanova drove a low ball into the box and the luckless Ruan looks to clear the ball but only diverts it into the top corner leaving his goalkeeper with no chance.

58′ GOAL FOR INTER! Martinez drives a low shot with his leftr foot which clips Ruan’s foot and loops over the goalkeeper and into the net. Ruan shakes his head as well he might.

63′ GOAL FOR SASSUOLO! A perfect clipped cross over the defence from Berardi and Henrique cannot miss heading home unchallenged from six yards out.

77′ GOAL FOR SASSUOLO! Now Frattesi has hit the target. Credit to him for not giving up. Another cross from Rogerio and the midfielder got across his man and powered home an unstoppable header.

89′ GOAL FOR INTER! Another fine goal for Lukaku, he raced down the inside left channel and coolly clipped a finish wide of Consigli to seal victory.

KEY STATS

• 2 – The second victory at home for Inter over Sassuolo in the last seven games.

• 5 – The number of goals Lukaku has scored in his last four games.