MILAN (AP) — After helping Inter Milan to the Serie A trophy, captain Lautaro Martínez also looks set to win the top goal-scorer’s prize.
Lautaro scored one and set up another to help Inter win at 10-man Lazio 3-0 on Saturday in a warmup for the Italian Cup final.
That took his tally to 17 in the league, four clear of his nearest rival, teammate Marcus Thuram. Como duo Tasos Douvikas and Nico Paz have five fewer than the Argentina World Cup winner.
There are three rounds remaining after this weekend.
Inter clinched Serie A last Sunday and can secure a league-cup double in the Italian Cup final on Wednesday, when it will again face Lazio at the Stadio Olimpico.
On Saturday, Inter took an early lead in the sixth minute as a long throw-in was nodded on by Thuram for Lautaro to volley in from close range.
Inter doubled the lead shortly before halftime. Lautaro and Andy Diouf exchanged several passes on the left side of the area before Lautaro rolled it across for Petar Sucic to fire into the top left corner from just outside the area.
Lazio’s hopes of salvaging something diminished in the 59th when defender Alessio Romagnoli was sent off for a high, studs-up challenge on Ange-Yoan Bonny — the Inter forward was fortunate to come away unscathed. Romagnoli will be suspended when Lazio faces Roma next Sunday.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan capped the result for Inter.
Super fast goal
Dusan Vlahovic scored after just 12 seconds to help Juventus win at relegation-threatened Lecce 1-0.
It was the fastest Serie A goal for Juventus since the statistic was counted in 2004-05 according to stats provider Opta.
Juventus also had two goals ruled out for offside in the second half.
Juventus moved into third, a point above AC Milan and four above fifth-placed Roma in the fight for the Champions League qualifying places. Milan hosts Atalanta on Sunday, shortly after Roma visits Parma.
Lecce was left four points above the drop zone and could find itself in further trouble at the end of the weekend, with 18th-placed Cremonese hosting already-relegated Pisa on Sunday.
Racist slurs
Cagliari is still not mathematically safe from relegation following a 2-0 loss at home to Udinese in a game that was married by accusations of racism after the final whistle.
Udinese forward Keinan Davis, who is Black, alleged Cagliari defender Alberto Dossena called him a “monkey” during the match. Dossena denied any wrongdoing.
Both players were backed by their teammates and clubs.
Cagliari was nine points above Cremonese.
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