Inter Milan 3 Lazio 0: Mauro Icardi and Ever Banega goals see Stefano Pioli’s men go just four points off Champions League spot
San Siro giants enjoying revival under new boss as dominant win over top four rivals makes it five wins in seven games
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INTER MILAN’S revival under Stefano Pioli continued with a crushing 3-0 win over fellow top-four contenders Lazio.
Mauro Icardi grabbed a quick-fire brace after Ever Banega opened the scoring in the second-half.
And despite their poor start to the season – which saw Frank de Boer receive the axe – Inter are now just four points off Serie A’s final Champions League spot.
Club legend Adriano was presented to the San Siro crowd before kick-off.
He said: “It's a dream to be here. I hadn't been at San Siro for a long time and it's really giving me goosebumps. I'm happy to be at my home, as I call it," L'Imperatore told Inter Channel.
“I know that all the Inter fans have me in their heart and I am always happy to come back to see the team I will love forever.
“The moment I set foot on the turf of the Stadio Meazza, I remembered the times when I was a real player. I still can't believe I'm here."
Visitors Lazio looked good in the first-half, with the likes of Ciro Immobile and Felipe Anderson sharp on the attack.
However, Inter drew first blood after 54 minutes when playmaker Banega fired in a scorcher from distance using the outside of his foot.
Captain Icardi then doubled his side’s advantage just two minutes later before tucking home his 14th league goal of the season with less than half an hour to go.
It’s been a remarkable turnaround for Inter, who even handed a rare cameo appearance to nomadic summer signing Gabriel Barbosa.
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They’ve won five of their last seven domestic matches, with new stars such as Antonio Candreva finally starting to find their feet at the San Siro.
Inter can now put their feet up knowing they’re not back in business until January 8th when they travel to mid-table Udinese.