Inter’s message from southern Italy was unmistakable – they are geared up for a significant contest against Napoli, and likely Atalanta too, as they vie for the Scudetto.

The “Black and Blue” team decisively defeated Nikola Krstović’s Lens with a scoreline of 4:0, leaving them three points behind Napoli after 22 rounds. Napoli recently achieved victories against Atalanta and Juventus over the past week.

Simone Inzaghi’s squad also has one match in hand compared to their competitors (against Fiorentina in Florence) and showcased dominance at the “Via del Mare” stadium from start to finish.

They took the lead early on, just six minutes into the match, with Davide Fratezi scoring from a pass by Marcus Thuram. Although two goals were ruled out for offside during the encounter, Thuram did miss a significant opportunity as well.

It seemed like a rout for the reigning champions, and it became evident in the 39th minute that Inter was on track for it after Lautaro Martinez found the net.

The second half commenced with Lecce applying pressure, spearheaded by Krstović, who managed seven shots on Jan Zomer and was the standout player for the home team. However, Inter skillfully managed the game to ensure their seventh consecutive away victory without conceding a goal.

Denzel Dumfries extended the lead to 3-0 following an impressive assist from Martinez, before Mehdi Taremi netted his first goal in Serie A – he converted a penalty that Fratezi had earned.

With this victory, Inter stays level with Napoli ahead of the Milan derby, while Lecce finds itself in a precarious position, just a point above the relegation zone, with Verona set to face Venice tonight.

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