Serie A | Cremonese 0-2 Inter: Lautaro and Zielinski keep leaders comfortable

Inter comfortably swept Cremonese aside 2-0 with Lautaro Martinez and Piotr Zielinski goals, but there was a scare when Emil Audero was struck by a firework.

The Nerazzurri beat Borussia Dortmund 2-0 in Germany on Wednesday, though it was not enough to avoid the Champions League play-offs. Carlos Augusto joined Nicolò Barella, Hakan Calhanoglu and Denzel Dumfries on the treatment table. The hosts managed just three draws in eight games, failing to score for the last three in a row. Tommaso Barbieri was suspended, with Martin Payero, Antonio Sanabria, Warren Bondo, Faris Moumbagna and Michele Collocolo injured, so Youssef Maleh was thrown straight into the starting XI.

See how it all unfolded on the Liveblog.

Petar Sucic fired just over and Lautaro Martinez turned wide from distance after Cremonese struggled playing out from the back, but Inter broke the deadlock when Lautaro Martinez was allowed a surprisingly free header from six yards on Federico Dimarco’s corner. It was his 128th Serie A goal for Inter and he celebrated with a message for his daughter’s birthday.

Federico Ceccherini drilled wide from a Cremonese corner moments later, while Yann Sommer had to sprint out to clear from Federico Bonazzoli after a heavy touch ruined the counter-attack.

Davide Frattesi at full stretch couldn’t keep the finish down on another Dimarco cross, but Piotr Zielinski doubled Inter’s lead with a long-range strike that swerved mid-air to surprise the not impeccable Audero under the bar.

Bonazzoli tried to repeat the trick at the other end and stung Sommer’s gloves with another swerving effort.

There was a horrible incident on 50 minutes when a firework was thrown into the penalty area and exploded right next to Cremonese goalkeeper Audero. He had a burn mark on his leg and was evidently shaken, but was able to continue after a few minutes.

Alessio Zerbin tested Sommer with an angled drive, while Marcus Thuram’s header turned an Alessandro Bastoni cross wide.

New signing Milan Djuric made his Cremonese debut, but couldn’t quite get his head to the Giuseppe Pezzella cross.

The hosts were unlucky not to break their goal drought in the final minutes when a free kick was cleared to the edge of the box for Alessio Zerbin’s first-time strike off the outside of the right boot, which thumped the base of the upright. A mad scramble followed, culminating in Sommer smothering at Jamie Vardy’s feet.

Lautaro Martinez 16 (I), Zielinski 31 (I)