Arnautovic bags a goal and an assist as Inter warms up for Bayern by beating Cagliari 3-1
MILAN (AP) — Marko Arnautovic scored one and set up another as Inter Milan prepared for its Champions League quarterfinal against Bayern Munich with a morale-boosting 3-1 win over Cagliari in Serie A on Sunday.
Lautaro Martínez and Yann Bisseck also scored for the Serie A leader to help it move six points clear of Napoli, which hosts relegation-threatened Empoli on Monday.
Cagliari was six points above the drop zone.
Inter coach Simone Inzaghi kept the squad rotation at a minimum despite Wednesday's crucial match at San Siro, where the Nerazzurri will have a 2-1 lead from the first leg last week.
And Inter got off to the ideal start in the 13th minute. Carlos Augusto chested down Hakan Çalhanoğlu's ball over the top towards Lautaro but instead Arnautovic pounced on it and smashed it into the roof of the net.
Lautaro did get his goal 13 minutes later when an intelligent pass from Arnautovic sent the Argentine World Cup winner racing clear through on goal and he dinked it over the onrushing Elia Caprile.
Inter gifted Cagliari a way back shortly after halftime as Roberto Piccoli was left completely unmarked to head in a goal for Cagliari.
But Bisseck headed in a corner seven minutes later.
Survival boost
Venezia boosted its hopes of avoiding the drop with a crucial 1-0 win over bottom club Monza, which seems ever more likely to be relegated.
Daniel Fila netted his first goal for Venezia, since joining the Italian club from Slavia Prague in February.
Fila was also sent off in stoppage time following a second yellow card.
Venezia moved level with Empoli, two points from safety.
Monza remained 11 points below 17th-placed Lecce, with just six rounds remaining and could find itself further adrift if Lecce manages to win at Juventus later.
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