Inter Milan moved a step closer to the Serie A title with a 2-0 victory over struggling Empoli on Monday to remain 14 points clear at the top of the league. Federico Di Marco gave Inter the lead after five minutes at the San Siro and substitute Alexis Sanchez sealed the tie in front of a jubilant home crowd with nine minutes remaining. Monday’s comfortable win leaves Inter Milan needing just 11 more points from eight games to beat second-placed AC Milan and claim a 20th Italian Serie A title.

Inter’s huge lead over their local rivals was largely down to academy product Dimarco, who scored his first goal from a clever pass from Alessandro Bastoni for much of the game. Ri separated the home team from their energetic opponents.

It was Bastoni’s third assist in the league and the Italian defender joked: “It was the worst of all games, Di Marco’s shot made everything look better!”

Bastoni added: “We are very happy with this win because we have just come back from the international break and winning after traveling around the world is never easy.”

Simone Inzaghi’s side are nowhere near the brilliant form they showed before being knocked out of the Champions League by Atletico Madrid last month.

But Inter have only dropped two points since the start of the year, and Monday’s victory is a good way to end what has been a difficult few weeks.

Francesco Acerbi was cleared of racially abusing Napoli defender Juan Jesus late last month, an ugly incident that has continued into the international break with both the Italian defender and Inter Milan denying it One accusation.

Acerbi started the match after avoiding a possible 10-game ban as the Italian Football Federation’s disciplinary tribunal deemed there was insufficient evidence to punish him.

Empoli suffered a fourth straight defeat without a goal, with the goal tally putting Empoli back in the relegation zone, swapping places with 17th-placed Frosinone, who drew 1-1 with Genoa on Saturday. .

“If that game had knocked our confidence, then tonight we would have seen a poor performance, but that didn’t happen,” Empoli coach Davide Nicola said.

Bologna charge

Bologna defeated Serie A bottom team Salernitana 3-0 and continued their charge towards their first appearance in the Champions League.

Excellent first-half goals from Riccardo Orsolini and Alexis Salemekers and Charalampos Lekogiannis’ stoppage-time finish ensured Bologna stayed in fourth place, five points higher than Roma who had a goalless draw with Lecce.

Thiago Motta’s side have won eight of their last nine games and not only look like good bets to reach Europe’s top club competition, but are also targeting Juventus.

Juventus are just two points ahead of third-placed Bologna and are dragged back into the Champions League after a late defeat to Lazio on Saturday.

Bologna are currently in last place, but Serie A is firmly vying for an extra spot in next year’s revamped league, meaning fifth place might be good enough.

Bologna and Roma will both host Juventus before the end of the season.

“We are performing very well at the moment, both in the way we play and the results we have achieved,” Motta told Sky Sports.

Although Italy’s seven-time champions played a round in the old European Cup in 1964, the year they most recently won the Serie A title, they have never played in the modern Champions League.

Last season’s ninth-place finish was Bologna’s highest finish in Serie A in more than a decade, and they are on track to achieve their best finish in years.

“Obviously we’re looking at the standings, but that’s not important to us, it’s about putting in the training and performing on the pitch,” Sallemaker said.

Stefano Colantuono failed to reverse Salenitana’s fortunes in his first game in charge, with his side suffering three consecutive defeats en route to relegation to Serie B.

Salernitana has not won a game since the start of the year and is 12 points from safety.

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