By Daily sports on January 4, 2021
Lautaro Martinez scored a hat-trick as Inter Milan kicked off 2021 in blistering form with a 6-2 win over lowly Crotone on Sunday to take top spot in Serie A.
Inter claimed an eighth consecutive league win to move two points ahead of AC Milan who travel to midtable Benevento later on Sunday with champions Juventus hosting Udinese.
Martinez and Romelu Lukaku proved decisive for the northerners, the strike duo being involved in five of Inter’s goals.
Antonio Conte’s side had been pegged back 2-2 at the break with Niccolo Zanellato breaking through with a 12th-minute header for the promoted Calabrians who are second from bottom with the worst attack in the league.
But Martinez picked up a Lukaku cross to pull the hosts level eight minutes later.
Martinez had a role in Inter’s second just after half an hour when Crotone defender Luca Marrone turned the ball into his own net under pressure from Argentina forward.
Vladimir Golemic put the sides level six minutes later after Arturo Vidal fouled Arkadiusz Reca, with Conte replacing the Chilean midfielder after the break.
Martinez pulled Inter ahead before the hour connecting with a Marcelo Brozovic through ball and headed in his third with 12 minutes to go off a rebound.
Lukaku blasted in his 50th goal in the Inter jersey after 64 minutes before going off after taking a knock to his thigh, before Achraf Hakimi sealed the win with three minutes to go.
“There is a great desire and it shows,” said Conte as Inter target their first Serie A title since 2010 with their European campaign over this season.
“It’s important to continue like this, we produce and create a lot, we score a lot of goals, it’s a pity for the goals conceded.” (AFP)
•PHOTO: Lautaro Martinez
Source Daily sports
Posted January 4, 2021
You may also like...
Tunisia fire four past Zimbabwe to progress
Chiellini Signs New Juventus Deal
Eibar Fight Back To Beat Sevilla
Fans Could Return For Premier League Final Day...
Pogba Happy And Targeting Manchester United Stay
Fury-Wilder Heavyweight Fight Postponed

Commonwealth Games: Amusan arrives Team Nigeria camp
Oloko’s Falcons dream comes true with Nnadozie
WAFCON worth fighting for, says Oshoala
Ashe praises world-class Nigeria camp ahead of C’wealth Games
World Cup: Argentina face FIFA sanction over Falklands banner display
World Cup English FA backs Tuchel despite semi-final loss
Messi, Argentina finds Pickford’s penalty cheat sheet – Report
Argentina punished England after sensing weakness, doubts, says Scaloni W’Cup semi-final win
Commonwealth Games: Igali praises welfare, backs Team Nigeria for success
Important Lessons From 2026 FIFA WORLD CUP FINALS: Dear Ibrahim Gusau, It's Time To Resign Honorably
Nnadozie tops WSL keepers’ chart
FULL LIST: Unai Simón joins World Cup clean-sheet greats as Barthez, Shilton remain joint leaders
Rangers International going, going . . . (63,956 views)
Amaju Pinnick: A cat with nine lives (55,298 views)
Second Term: Amaju Pinnick, Other NFF Heavyweights Home to Roost •How Pinnick Broke the Jinx (53,208 views)
Current issues in Nigerian sports: Matters arising (52,814 views)
Sports Development: Zenith Bank on the zenith (52,697 views)
Missing $150,000 IAAF Grant: Solomon Dalung’s Hide and Seek game (52,569 views)
Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje’s solid footprints, commitment to sports development in Kano State (52,454 views)
NFF Presidency: Pinnick, Maigari, Ogunjobi, Okoye in Battle for Supremacy (51,973 views)
Olopade, BET9A wave of revolution in NNL (51,192 views)
Commonwealth Games 2018: Shame of Muhammadu Buhari, Solomon Dalung (49,657 views)
Ibrahimovic’s Man U exit: Whose decision is it? And in whose interest? (48,137 views)
John Mikel Obi: Segun Odegbami’s Outrageous Call! (47,523 views)