Perisic scored a hat-trick, Inter reached the top of Serie A after nearly two years

Coach Luciano Spalletti's team crushed Chievo 5-0 to take sole possession of the top spot for the first time since January 2016.

Goals: Perisic 23', 57', 90+2', Icardi 38', Skriniar 60'

With 39 shots and 18 corners, the Giuseppe Meazza team considered Chievo as a "blue team" to practice against. That helped Ivan Perisic have his first hat-trick for Inter. Man Utd's target in the summer of 2017 has seven goals and six assists since the beginning of the season. "It doesn't matter who scores, the important thing is the team's victory. I am very impressed with coach Spalletti. He is the reason why I stayed," Perisic said after the match.

Perisic shines to bring Inter to the top of Serie A. Photo: AFP.

The 58-year-old strategist did not risk using Matias Vecino because the Uruguayan midfielder has not fully recovered from a thigh injury. Marcelo Brozovic was used alongside Borja Valero, playing behind Joao Mario in the middle.

The home team bombarded Chievo's goal from all directions after the opening whistle. In the 23rd minute, defender Davide Santon broke through on the left wing and took a surprise shot, forcing goalkeeper Stefano Sorrentino to punch the ball away. Perisic seized the opportunity and volleyed the ball into the net, forcing Sorrentino to push the ball into the net.

Icardi scored his 16th goal in Serie A after just 15 rounds. Photo: Alessandro Garofalo.

Inter ended the first half with a two-goal lead, as Brozovic proved Spalletti's decision right. In the 38th minute, the Croatian midfielder played a through ball for captain Mauro Icardi to run down and shoot diagonally. The Chievo goalkeeper once again got a touch of the ball, but could not avoid conceding. This was Icardi's 16th goal in Serie A 2017-2018, leading the race for the Golden Boot.

The two-goal deficit left the “Flying Donkeys” demoralized in the second half. In the 57th minute, they made a mistake in passing the ball home, allowing Perisic to steal it and score a solo goal. Three minutes later, center-back Milan Skriniar joined in the fun with a diving header from close range. It was the Slovakian rookie who initiated the counter-attack, and finished it neatly from Antonio Candreva’s cross.

Centre-back Skriniar is more than just a rock in defence, with his third goal this season. Photo: EPA.

Inter's joy was complete when Perisic sealed the 5-0 victory in the last minute of injury time. The "Nerazzurri" currently have 39 points after 15 rounds, one and two points more than Napoli and Juventus respectively. The Perisic - Icardi duo also owns a total of 23 goals, only behind the Cavani - Neymar pair in Europe (26 goals).

According to VNE