Inter score six in thumping of Bologna

MILAN – Inter turned in a truly rampant performance on Saturday evening in front of their adoring home fans, putting six goals past an in-form Bologna side to put Wednesday’s defeat to Real Madrid behind them. The Nerazzurri shone brightly, like the colours that adorn the new third kit they wore for the first time, with Lautaro Martinez, Milan Skriniar, Nicolo Barella, Matias Vecino and Edin Dzeko getting on the scoresheet. This dominant win takes Inter up to 10 points in the Serie A standings

Under a sunny Milan sky, the 35,000 Nerazzurri fans that packed out San Siro had converted the disappointment of the midweek Champions League loss into positive energy. As always they gave a warm welcome to Sinisa Mihajlovic, whose Bologna side faced an Inter featuring Denzel Dumfries, Matias Vecino, Federico Dimarco and Joaquin Correa from the first minute. 

Dumfries, the flying Dutchman on the right-hand side, took no time at all to make his presence felt. After just 6 minutes he produced a pin-point cross for Lautaro Martinez to fire left-footed into the goal and give Inter a crucial early advantage. 

For Correa meanwhile it was a more problematic outing. He picked up a knock halfway through the first period and was replaced by Edin Dzeko. It was a moment that looked like it might complicate matters for Inter, but Simone Inzaghi’s side hit the back of the net twice in the space of four minutes to give themselves a three-goal advantage. 

Firstly Milan Skriniar headed home from Dimarco’s perfect corner on 30 minutes, before Nicolo Barella pounced on a short Bologna clearance – following another dangerous Dumfries ball into the area – to add a third, rounding off a rampant first-half display from the Nerazzurri. 

Inzaghi’s men did not take their foot off the gas in the second period. Fewer than 10 minutes after play resumed, Vecino was on hand at the back post to convert Dimarco’s teasing cross in from the left, making it 4-0 to the home side. 

After the hour mark, Dzeko showed his goal-scoring prowess by netting twice in the space of five minutes. The first was a carefully lifted finish from inside the box, after Martinez produced a clever dummy on Brozovic’s pass. The second was an incredible finish, from the tightest of angles, after a neat pass from Alexis Sanchez, who had come on just moments before to make his first appearance of the campaign. 

As applause and cheers continued to ring round the Giuseppe Meazza stadium in the final minutes, a late consolation for Bologna scored by Arthur Theate, who headed home after being left unmarked in the Inter box, took some of the shine off what to that point had been a near-perfect Inter display. This resounding victory will nonetheless provide the perfect springboard for the upcoming run of games, which come thick and fast. 

Inter 6-1 Bologna (HT: 3-0)Scorers: Lautaro 6, Skriniar 30, Barella 34, Vecino 54, Dzeko 63, 68, Theate 86. 

INTER (3-5-2): 1 Handanovic; 37 Skriniar, 6 de Vrij (13 Ranocchia 67), 95 Bastoni (11 Kolarov 74); 2 Dumfries, 8 Vecino, 77 Brozovic (5 Gagliardini 74), 23 Barella, 32 Dimarco; 10 Lautaro (7 Sanchez 67), 19 Correa (9 Dzeko 29).Subs not used: 21 Cordaz, 97 Radu, 14 Perisic, 20 Calhanoglu, 33 D'Ambrosio, 36 Darmian, 48 Satriano.Coach: Simone Inzaghi. 

BOLOGNA (4-2-3-1): 28 Skorupski; 29 De Silvestri (6 Theate 74'), 17 Medel, 4 Bonifazi, 3 Hickey (35 Dijks 56'); 8 Dominguez (20 Van Hooijdonk 69'), 32 Svanberg (55 Vignato 56'); 11 Skov Olsen, 21 Soriano, 10 Sansone (99 Barrow 56'); 9 Arnautovic.Subs not used: 22 Bardi, 2 Binks, 5 Soumaro, 7 Orsolini, 15 Mbaye, 19 Santander, 66 Amey.Coach: Sinisa Mihajlovic.

Referee: Ayroldi.Assistants: Di Vuolo, Imperiale.Fourth official: Gariglio.VAR: Guida.Assistant VAR: Paterna.