Inter cruise to title number 20

Simone Inzaghi's Internazionale shrug off all challengers before sealing the Serie A title in style against their biggest rivals

- PADDY AGNEW

Monday, April 22, 2024 was a day that many Internazionale supporters had written into their diaries months ahead of time. As Inter’s triumphant cavalcade towards a 20th Serie A title picked up seemingly irresistible momentum through the springtime, it became clear that not only would April 22 be the day when Inter could mathematically wrap up the title, they could do so against their long-time city rivals Milan.

So it proved to be. Inter’s 2-1 victory at the San Siro saw them seal the title with five games to spare on a cold and wet evening when the inclement conditions did little to dampen Inter enthusiasm. To some extent, Inter’s march to victory recalled that of Napoli a year earlier.

It was not so much a matter of if they would win the Scudetto as when.

In the end, their dominance was even more devastating than that of Napoli in 2022-23. Inter ended the campaign 19 points ahead of their closest rivals – Milan, of course. Last season, Napoli had finished 16 points clear of surprise runners-up Lazio.

In a sense, the intense city rivalry underpinned Inter’s dominant season. First definitive signs that Inter would be a problem for everyone came last September when they drubbed Milan 5-1 in the first derby of the season. Both teams had made good starts to the campaign, winning their first three games, so the emphatic Inter win seemed auspicious.