Inter Milan secured a crucial 2-0 victory away at Cagliari on Saturday night, with Lautaro Martinez opening the scoring early before substitute Francesco Pio Esposito sealed the win late on with his first Serie A goal. The result lifted Cristian Chivu’s side to fifth in the table and eased the pressure after a mixed start to the season.
Inter arrived in Sardinia in need of momentum, having suffered two defeats in their first four matches. A second consecutive win keeps them within touching distance of leaders Napoli, while Cagliari’s defeat sees them drop to 10th with seven points.
The visitors could hardly have asked for a better start. In the ninth minute, Alessandro Bastoni whipped in a precise cross from the left and Martinez rose above his marker to head into the far corner from close range. It was the Argentine striker’s 12th goal against Cagliari, making them his favourite opponents in Serie A.
That early blow unsettled the hosts, who had come into the contest with only one defeat this season, against champions Napoli. Cagliari, however, failed to register a single attempt on or off target in a scrappy first half dominated by stoppages and free kicks. Inter, while ahead, struggled to create further clear chances before the interval.
The second half saw Inter gradually increase their threat. Hakan Çalhanoğlu came closest on 53 minutes when his shot from outside the box struck the post after a neat exchange with Marcus Thuram and Nicolò Barella. Just moments later, Thuram broke free from Yerry Mina but his effort was denied by goalkeeper Elia Caprile.
Thuram had another golden opportunity when Federico Dimarco whipped in a dangerous cross, but the Frenchman’s close-range finish flew over the bar.
Cagliari slowly grew in belief and came agonisingly close to an equaliser with 17 minutes left. From Sebastiano Esposito’s corner, Michael Folorunsho rose highest and his header struck the foot of the post before Inter scrambled the ball away.
That near miss proved decisive. Inter immediately looked to reassert themselves and were eventually rewarded nine minutes from time. Dimarco surged down the left and pulled the ball back across the area, where Francesco Pio Esposito calmly drilled his shot into the bottom right corner. It was a landmark moment for the 20-year-old forward, who netted his first Serie A goal against his older brother Sebastiano, currently on loan at Cagliari.
The emotional subplot added extra weight to the result, with Sebastiano earlier denied when his volley drifted wide from a corner. But it was his younger brother who left the bigger mark on the game.
Inter defender Bastoni admitted afterwards that his side rode their luck at times. “Certainly the episodes gave us a hand because if that header goes in, we are talking about another game,” he told Sky Sport.
Martinez praised the young match-winner. “An intelligent and wonderful guy, he works hard and listens,” the Inter captain told DAZN. “At his age he is proving his worth, he will give us a big hand this year.”
The win takes Inter to nine points, three behind Napoli who face AC Milan on Sunday. With confidence returning, Chivu will hope this result sparks a more consistent run in the weeks ahead.
