MILAN, April 17 (Reuters) - Inter Milan took another step towards the Serie A title with a 3-0 win over Cagliari at the San Siro on Friday, when second-half goals from Marcus Thuram, Nicolo Barella and Piotr Zielinski moved the hosts 12 points clear at the top.
Inter are on 78 points, with second-placed Napoli on 66 before they host Lazio on Saturday while Cagliarxi remained 16th in the standings on 33 points, six above the relegation zone.
After a sluggish first-half performance, Inter took the lead through Thuram seven minutes after the break, Barella added a second and substitute Zielinski put the shine on the win with an added-time goal.
Inter had got their title charge back on track with back-to-back wins over AS Roma and Como after a three-game slump in which they collected two points, and a third successive win kept them in full control with five matches remaining.
Cagliari took the game to the hosts early on, getting the first shot on target with Inter keeper Josep Martinez stretching to tip Sebastiano Esposito's low strike around the post for a corner.
Inter seized control but struggled to find a way through Cagliari's backline in the opening half, with the other Esposito brother, Pio, coming closest before the break, forcing Elia Caprile into a save.
The home side upped the pace after the interval and a Federico Dimarco low cross into the six-yard area was tapped in by Thuram at the back post to bring the San Siro crowd to life and settle Inter's nerves.
BARELLA BACK ON FORM
A second goal quickly followed, with Barella collecting a loose ball, charging into the area before letting fly with a powerful shot into the top corner to score against his hometown club.
Barella was reluctant to celebrate, but was hoisted onto the shoulders of Thuram as Inter enjoyed a goal which tightened their grip on the Scudetto.
"It's been a year with more ups and downs, and that annoys me because I always want to be at my best," Barella told DAZN.
"Now I feel good again and I'm trying to give everything as always. Sometimes you can have a mental block, but right now I'm enjoying the moment."
Inter had little trouble seeing out a routine win, and Zielinski smashed home a first-time strike from outside the area to round off a dominant performance.
In his first season in charge, Cristian Chivu could well deliver a domestic double with his Inter side back at the San Siro on Tuesday to face Como in the Coppa Italia semi-final second leg, after a 0-0 draw in the first game.
(Reporting by Trevor Stynes, editing by Ed Osmond)
