• Home
• /
• Sports
• /
• Football

Icardi, Banega hat tricks help Inter bury Atalanta

Milan - Icardi completes his hat-trick in nine first-half minutes

Argentinians Mauro Icardi and Ever Banega struck a hat trick apiece as Champions League-chasing Inter Milan demolished high-flying Atalanta with a defiant 7-1 romp on Sunday.
Atalanta travelled to the San Siro confident of causing an upset having beaten Inter, Napoli and Roma at home in a season that is turning out to be their best to date. But Gian Piero Gasperini's men, who have got used to being welcomed back to Bergamo by hundreds of ecstatic fans whenever they play away, are set for a scolding after a dismal display that saw Atalanta drop two places to sixth.
Icardi completed his hat-trick in nine first-half minutes - including one from the spot when he was tripped in the area - to fire the Nerazzurri 3-0 ahead by the 26th minute, with Banega netting twice and Remo Freuler hitting a 42nd-minute consolation as Inter took a 5-1 half-time lead.
Inter twisted the knife seven minutes after the restart when ex-Atalanta midfielder Roberto Gagliardini slammed the ball past stricken goalkeeper Etrit Berisha and into the top corner, before Argentina midfielder Banega completed his hat-trick with a deflected free-kick on 68 minutes.
Inter moved up to fourth to sit five points behind Roma, who occupy the third and final Champions League qualifying place, although the capital club will pull eight points clear of Inter with a win away to struggling Palermo later Sunday. Roma's city rivals Lazio will leapfrog Inter if they account for Torino at home on Monday.
Juventus took another step towards a record sixth consecutive Serie A title with a controversial 2-1 win over AC Milan on Friday, when Argentinian starlet Paulo Dybala hit a controversial, last-gasp penalty for the hosts