Inter 4-0 Atalanta: Thuram runs rampant in statement win

A Marcus Thuram double helped Inter to an emphatic 4-0 win over Atalanta on Friday, winning a second-straight home game.

The defending champions, coming off a draw at Genoa and a 2-0 win over Lecce, scored twice in the opening stages of each half to prevail and, provisionally, move top of the standings with seven points.

The hosts opened the scoring just three minutes in when Thuram’s low cross deflected off Berat Djimsiti into his own net before Nicolo Barella doubled the lead with a stunning volley from the edge of the box seven minutes later.

They could have had a third just before the half-hour mark too, with Thuram ghosting past Atalanta’s defence again, only to see this effort deflected off the woodwork.

Thuram scored twice in similar fashion after the break, taking advantage of loose balls from the visitors’ poor defence to fire home from close range in the 47th and 56th minutes.

Atalanta posed little threat and can count themselves lucky not to be on the end of a heavier scoreline as Federico Dimarco’s sweeping finish was disallowed for offside late on.

LO SHOW È SERVITO

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Data Debrief: Thuram steals spotlight

While Barella arguably scored the pick of the goals with his long-range stunner, Thuram was at the heart and centre of everything Inter did on Friday.

He had the most shots (four) and netted with both of his efforts on targeting, outperforming his 0.49 expected goals.

Thuram is now the fourth Inter player to score at least four goals in his first three appearances in a Serie A season in the three-points-for-a-win era, after Lautaro Martínez (five in 2023-24), Mauro Icardi (five in 2017-18) and Christian Vieri (four in 1999-00 and 2002-03).