Series A | Lazio 0-6 Inter: The defending champions send a big message with their tennis result

epa11781491 Niccolo Barella of Inter Milan scores the 0-3 goal during the Italian Serie A soccer match between SS Lazio and FC Inter in Rome, Italy on December 16, 2024. EPA-EFE/ALESSANDRO DI MEO

Inter sent a signal in the Scudetto race with a commanding 6-0 away win against Lazio in top form, including a sensational long-range goal from Nicolò Barella.

Both teams had 31 points, although the Nerazzurri still had a game in hand, so it was a title showdown. Taty Castellanos was suspended, Alessio Romagnoli and Matias Vecino were injured, so Tijjani Noslin came on as a substitute for a side fresh from Thursday’s 3-1 away win over Ajax. The Nerazzurri were overjoyed after their second defeat of the season, 1-0 in the Champions League at Bayer Leverkusen, with Francesco Acerbi and Benjamin Pavard out of action.

See how it developed in the live blog.

Nuno Tavares made two tackles and saw his shot deflected into the arms of Yann Sommer, then Noslin shot over from 12 meters after Nicolò Rovella’s cross from the right and Federico Dimarco made a decisive save from Mattia Zaccagni after three tackles.

There was a problem for Lazio as Mario Gila left injured and Samuel Gigot made way.

He was immediately involved as Inter had the ball in the net from a corner when Ivan Provedel parried Denzel Dumfries’ header into the path of Stefan de Vrij, but Lautaro Martinez was ruled offside. VAR also noticed that Dumfries had nodded the ball onto the wrist of Gigot, so Hakan Calhanoglu converted a penalty to give them the lead.

Inter added a second goal moments later when Dumfries sent a cross to the back post, where fellow full-back Dimarco fired a cushioned left-footed volley from nine yards.

ROME, ITALY - DECEMBER 16: Federico Dimarco of FC Internazionale celebrates scoring his team's second goal during the Serie A match between SS Lazio and FC Internazionale at Stadio Olimpico on December 16, 2024 in Rome, Italy. (Photo by Paolo Bruno/Getty Images) — ROME, ITALY – DECEMBER 16: Federico Dimarco of FC Internazionale celebrates scoring his team’s second goal during the Serie A match between SS Lazio and FC Internazionale at Stadio Olimpico on December 16, 2024 in Rome, Italy. (Photo by Paolo Bruno/Getty Images)

Things went from bad to worse for Lazio as Gigot was also sidelined after a blow to the back of the head during the penalty and Adam Marusic moved to the makeshift centre-back role.

The Nerazzurri took a 3-0 lead with a sensational shot from Barella, who controlled Calhanoglu’s pass, shot it up with his left foot and fired the almost unstoppable right-footed half-volley into the top corner from just over 23 yards out .

Moments later it was 4-0 as Nuno Tavares was caught napping when Dumfries sneaked up behind him and scored a great header from Alessandro Bastoni’s cross.

Barella could have scored a fifth but instead opted for a backheel shot as Marcus Thuram’s counter-attack went through him.

Carlos Augusto helped win the ball back from Loum Tchaouna in the final third and was then ready to meet Dimarco’s back pass to score after a cheeky, quality turn from a tight angle.

Piotr Zielinski shot over the crossbar from nine meters as Thuram pulled back from the baseline.

Instead, Thuram made it 6-0 himself, twisting and turning to confuse makeshift centre-back Marusic and firing into the near bottom corner.