Federico Dimarco’s three assists powered Inter Milan to an eight-point Serie A lead, while Juventus salvaged a last-gasp draw against Lazio.
MILAN: Federico Dimarco delivered a masterclass as Inter Milan thumped Sassuolo 5-0 to extend their unbeaten league run to 12 matches.
The wing-back provided three assists and also cleared a shot off his own line, helping Inter move eight points clear of rivals AC Milan at the Serie A summit.
“I don’t feel like I’m anyone,” Dimarco said, downplaying his influential performance. “In football, when things are going well you’re a phenomenon, but when things go badly you’re nothing.”
Inter took the lead through Yann Bisseck’s header from a Dimarco corner. Marcus Thuram then flicked home Dimarco’s cross to double the advantage before half-time.
Lautaro Martinez fired in a third after the break, moving joint-third on Inter’s all-time scorers list. Manuel Akanji headed in another Dimarco corner before Luis Henrique completed the scoring late on.
Sassuolo’s misery was compounded by Nemanja Matic’s late red card.
In Turin, Juventus staged a dramatic comeback to draw 2-2 with Lazio but dropped crucial points in the race for Champions League qualification.
The hosts fell two goals behind after strikes from Pedro and Gustav Isaksen either side of half-time.
Weston McKennie pulled one back before Pierre Kalulu scored deep into added time to salvage a draw.
The result means Roma can draw level with fourth-placed Juventus if they beat Cagliari on Monday.
In Sunday’s other matches, Lecce beat Udinese 2-1 to move three points clear of the relegation zone. Parma secured a vital 1-0 win at Bologna thanks to Christian Ordonez’s 95th-minute goal.