Inter defeated Cagliari 3-0 at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza on Tuesday evening in the Coppa Italia, sending the Nerazzurri to the next round.
Rodrigo Palacio grabbed the first goal of the match when turning home from close range before Marcelo Brozovic scored a beauty to make it two. Ivan Perisic slid home the third to cap off an easy victory.
Despite Inter sitting a division above their opponents, it was the Sardinians who started on the front foot with Davide Di Gennaro hitting a long shot wide of the post.
As the game reached the midway point of the first-half the Nerazzurri began to grow into the match, Palacio on hand to fling himself via a diving header only to be saved at point-blank range.
The Argentinian would not be denied just a few minutes later however, steering home a chance with no one around him from all of six yards following a floated cross into the box.
Just prior to half-time Niccolo Giannetti latched onto a nice through ball from Di Gennaro who then saw his effort well saved by Juan Carrizo.
Five minutes into the second-half saw a wonderful chance fall Cagliari’s way to draw level when a flicked header from Fabio Pisacane spanked the Inter crossbar.
The frantic start continued following Pisacane’s chance, this time with Gary Medel directing a header that left Alessio Cragno flat-footed but also relieved to see it drop wide of his goal.
Brozovic wrapped up the game much to the relief of those in Milan, curling home a possible goal of the knockout stages with a fine strike from all of 25 yards out.
It would not be the end of the goals for the night however, Perisic sliding in a third following the aforementioned Brozovic’s effort hitting the post.
Roberto Mancini’s side will either meet Napoli or Hellas Verona in the quarter-finals.
