Henrikh Mkhitaryan’s double ensured Inter Milan continued their unbeaten start to the season with a 5-1 drubbing against bitter rivals AC Milan.

Inter got off to a perfect start in the Milan derby with two goals from Mkhitaryan and Marcus Thuram, before Rafael Leao gave Milan some hope with a quick finish after the break.

Mkhitaryan earned his brace before Hakan Calhanoglu’s penalty and Davide Frattesi’s goal ensured there was no way back for Milan, who now face Newcastle in the Champions League on Tuesday.

Three points means Inter have now won all four of their games in Serie A this season and remain top of the table by two points.

Mkhitaryan set the tone in the fifth minute with a clean first-time effort from close range, which found the bottom corner and the goal stood despite a VAR check for a foul in the build-up.

The former Manchester United and Arsenal midfielder came close to a second with his header flashing wide of goal and Federico Dimarco then fired a free-kick over the crossbar before Theo Hernandez tried his luck for Milan, but his effort rolled past the post.

Thuram struck to double Inter’s advantage in the 38th minute with a stunning strike across the face of goal and into the top corner.

Milan had a chance after being awarded a free-kick outside the box just before the break, but Olivier Giroud blasted the ball over the bar.

Despite a bright start from Inter in the second half, it was Milan who pulled one back in the 58th minute after a superb through-ball from Giroud found Leao and his deflected shot landed in the net.

Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan made a good dive to his right to deny Carlos Augusto, who smashed the ball from outside the box, as Inter ramped up the pressure.

Nerazzurri struck again in the 68th minute after a great team move saw Lautaro Martinez lay the ball off to Mkhitaryan before the midfielder found the bottom corner, helped by a deflection, to earn his brace.

Milan’s misery continued when Hernandez conceded a penalty after catching Martinez in the box and Calhanoglu made no mistake from the spot in the 79th minute, blasting the ball low underneath Maignan.

Frattesi capped off a dominant evening for Inter after bursting through the Milan defence to latch onto the end of Mkhitaryan’s well-timed pass and tucked the ball home.

Simone Inzaghi saluted Inter's unity after the Nerazzurri kept Porto at bay to secure their place in the Champions League quarter-finals.

Inter are through to the last eight of Europe's premier club competition for the first time in 12 years, after a goalless draw at Estadio do Dragao sealed a 1-0 aggregate victory over Sergio Conceicao's side.

The visitors survived a late flurry of chances as Porto struck the woodwork twice in quick succession through Mehdi Taremi and Marko Grujic, while Denzel Dumfries blocked Ivan Mercano on the line.

And Inzaghi heaped praise on his players' efforts as they held out to prevail.

"We played a great game, the group came together and played a great match," he told Mediaset. "[We were] excellent first half. In the last part of the match, we suffered all together – honour to this group.

"In football, luck counts relatively, [but] in the two legs, we deserved the passage to the quarter-finals. Now, it's right to enjoy a feat that has been missing for a long time."

Henrikh Mkhitaryan also paid tribute to his team-mates, and the midfielder believes Inter have a genuine chance of embarking on a deep run.

When asked if they could go all the way, he told Sky Sports: "You can always dream, we want to do our best. It's a good opportunity, Inter haven't reached the quarter-finals for a long time, but we have to play with our heads.

"We knew it would be very tough. I want to congratulate my team-mates because we fought until the end. I hope this qualification will give us the push for the next games."

Meanwhile, Matteo Darmian was pleased with the way the Nerazzurri responded to their surprise 2-1 defeat by lowly Spezia in Serie A on Friday.

"We entered the field with the right desire and malice," the defender added. "We came from a bad defeat; many things were said. It was the perfect evening to make up for it.

"We were able to suffer at the right times, and we brought home the result. An evening like tonight gives us so much confidence and awareness."

Inter moved back to second place in Serie A after Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Lautaro Martinez were on target in a 2-0 victory over Lecce on Sunday.

Simone Inzaghi's side underwhelmed in a 1-0 defeat to Bologna last weekend but produced a much-improved performance to return to winning ways at San Siro.

Mkhitaryan's first-half opener set Inter on their way before top scorer Martinez's 14th league goal of the season made sure of the three points in the second half.

Victory saw Inzaghi's men leapfrog Lazio and cut Napoli's sizeable advantage at the summit to 15 points after the Partenopei lost to Maurizio Sarri's side on Friday.

Hakan Calhanoglu stung the palms of Wladimiro Falcone, while Andre Onana kept out a low Assan Ceesay drive in an opening bereft of clear-cut chances.

Edin Dzeko headed narrowly wide from Calhanoglu's corner soon after, before Mkhitaryan delivered the first moment of quality for his 29th-minute opener.

The midfielder swept a right-footed finish from Nicola Barella's offload into the top-right corner after the Italy international evaded two challenges inside the area.

Martinez finished in similarly clinical fashion after 53 minutes, brushing Denzel Dumfries' low right-wing centre past Falcone to double Inter's lead.

Dzeko fired another presentable opportunity straight at Falcone and Alessandro Bastoni dragged wide as an insipid Lecce never threatened a late response.

What does it mean? Inter encouragement after another Lecce win

Defeat to Bologna last Sunday left Inzaghi and Martinez furious, with the pair warning Inter will achieve nothing with such poor performances.

The Nerazzurri responded with a dominant showing, though, as they won a ninth straight Serie A home game against Lecce, scoring 22 times in that run.

A Scudetto challenge may be off the cards but Inter can take encouragement from this display with the second leg of their Champions League round of 16 tie, which they lead 1-0, at Porto to come on March 14.

Classy Calhanoglu

While Mkhitaryan scored in two consecutive home appearances in Serie A for the first time since May 2021 for Roma and Martinez once again impressed, Calhanoglu also deserves credit.

The Turkey midfielder was central to all of Inter's attacking promise as he created four chances – no player managed more.

Dire Dzeko

Dzeko was preferred up top by Inzaghi as he replaced Romelu Lukaku in the starting XI but the Bosnia and Herzegovina international failed to take his chance.

The striker missed a great first-half opportunity to compound his miserable run in front of goal, having scored just twice in 14 appearances in 2023.

What's next?

Inter visit relegation-threatened Spezia on Friday, while Lecce host Torino two days later.

Henrikh Mkhitaryan's superb second-half volley helped Inter overcome a stubborn Udinese in Serie A on Saturday, claiming a 3-1 win at San Siro.

Romelu Lukaku's 20th-minute penalty after Denzel Dumfries was brought down saw the hosts initially lead, only for Sandi Lovric's breakaway finish to reel them in before the break.

But just as it looked like the Nerazzurri would be forced to settle for a point, the Armenia international rode to their rescue with an excellent 73rd-minute strike.

Martinez made sure of the points in the 89th minute as Simone Inzaghi's side stretched their lead over third-place Milan to three points, ahead of the congested European race beneath them.

Inter entered the match with a verve and energy their visitors struggled to handle early on, and won a penalty after Walace was deemed to have fouled Dumfries by the VAR.

Lukaku initially saw his first effort saved by Marco Silvestri, but the goalkeeper was adjudged to be off his line and the Belgian made no mistake with his second attempt.

Yet the hosts failed to capitalise on their advantage, and Udinese deservedly drew level two minutes from the interval when Lovric finished off a shrewd counter-attack.

Dumfries fluffed his lines when presented with a chance to restore Inter's lead with a cross from Mkhitaryan, who achieved that feat with 17 minutes of normal time remaining when he lifted Federico Dimarco's square delivery beyond Silvestri.

Martinez added a late touch of gloss by powering a strike home in the closing stages to ensure there would be no late capitulation from Inter.

Inter confirmed their place in the knockout stages of the Champions League and simultaneously eliminated Barcelona after cruising to an Edin Dzeko-led 4-0 win over Viktoria Plzen.

The Nerazzurri knew they would be through regardless if Barcelona failed to win later in the day at home to Bayern Munich, but Simone Inzaghi's men removed all doubt with a professional display.

Initially there were hints of nervousness when Inter spurned a couple of first-half opportunities, but Henrikh Mkhitaryan gave them the breakthrough before Dzeko ensured it was effectively game over – for Plzen and Barcelona – by half-time.

A clinical Dzeko finish just past the hour was then added to by a late Romelu Lukaku strike on his return from injury as Inter eased into the next round.

Inter's persistence paid off in the 35th minute following a frustrating first half-hour.

Alessandro Bastoni charged up the left and crossed after a one-two with Federico Dimarco, and Mkhitaryan was on hand to nod in at the back post.

Dzeko ducking out of the way proved crucial to Mkhitaryan getting that opportunity, though the Bosnian did not have to wait long for a goal of his own.

Dimarco latched on to Nicolo Barella's exquisite long-range pass and played a first-time ball into the danger zone for Dzeko to tap home close to half-time.

Mkhitaryan nearly added a spectacular second just after the break, his 25-yard effort clipping the outside of the post.

But Dzeko did double his tally, guiding a controlled left-footed effort into the bottom-left corner from the centre of the box following good work by Lautaro Martinez.

Substitute Lukaku then found the same corner in the 87th minute with an emphatic finish after two months out.

Henrikh Mkhitaryan scored a freak last-gasp goal to snatch a 4-3 victory for Inter over Fiorentina in a Serie A thriller at the Stadio Artemio Franchi.

A frantic first half saw Inter race into a two-goal lead with only 15 minutes on the clock, Nicolo Barella opening the scoring and Martinez doubling the lead, but Arthur Cabral's penalty gave the Viola hope.

Jonathan Ikone curled home an equaliser on the hour mark before Martinez doubled his tally from the penalty spot, but Luka Jovic appeared to have snatched a point with time running out.

The drama was not over, however, as substitute Lorenzo Venuti saw his attempted clearance hit Mkhitaryan on the shin and bobble into the net in one stunning final twist.

Henrikh Mkhitaryan has suffered a thigh strain, Inter have confirmed.

Mkhitaryan made his Inter debut in the 2-1 win at Lecce last Saturday after joining from Serie A rivals Roma.

The former Borussia Dortmund, Manchester United and Arsenal midfielder came on in the 57th minute of a game that saw Inter claim a last-gasp winner through Denzel Dumfries.

However, they could well be without his services for their home game with Spezia on Saturday following an early injury blow.

A statement on Inter's website said assessments on Mkhitaryan had revealed a "strain in the left thigh flexors" and he will be "reassessed in the coming days".

Henrikh Mkhitaryan says winning the Europa Conference League was the "perfect conclusion" to his Roma career after finalising a move to Serie A rivals Inter.

The ex-Armenia international spent three years at Stadio Olimpico, the first of those on loan, following an underwhelming spell in England with Manchester United and Arsenal.

Mkhitaryan made 117 appearances for Roma – only four others featured more regularly during his time at the club – and directly contributed to 55 goals.

Indeed, over that period, Lorenzo Pellegrini (56) was the only player to score and assist more goals for the Giallorossi in all competitions.

He played nine times in Roma's successful Europa Conference League campaign under Jose Mourinho last time out, with that the Italian side's first trophy in 60 years.

Following the expiration of his Roma contract earlier this week, Mkhitaryan was unveiled as an Inter player on Saturday on a reported two-year deal.

Mkhitaryan posted an emotional farewell to Roma supporters on his social media, reserving special praise for head coach Mourinho.

"Roma is a truly unique club," he said in an open letter. "Your support has been outstanding and I will always be very proud of it.

"When I wore this shirt for the first time, I had a goal: to make this club win and to make its fantastic fans happy. Goal achieved in Tirana! 

"This triumph was the perfect conclusion to my three years in the Giallorossi. Now it's time to say goodbye.

"I want to thank all the people who work in the club for the special relationship built together over the years. 

"A huge thank you to our technical staff and in particular to Mr. Mourinho for his trust and attention towards me and for the extraordinary motivations he gave me as a player.

"I gave my all for Roma on and off the pitch. It was a great honour to play here and I will never forget the amazing moments we had together. 

"This club and the Eternal City will remain forever in my heart. I love you!"

Mkhitaryan is Inter's fourth confirmed signing of the transfer window following the arrivals of Andre Onana, Romelu Lukaku and Kristjan Asllani, the latter two joining on loan.

Simone Inzaghi's side, who finished second to Milan in a tense Scudetto battle last time out, begin their 2022-23 Serie A campaign away at Lecce on August 13.

The official start of the new club season brought confirmation of a number of transfers in Serie A – and Andrea Belotti will also soon be on the move.

Striker Belotti, who is out of contract with Torino, was not among those listed on the league website as having secured a new club.

But Torino released a statement early on Friday to confirm the Italy man would be departing, having scored 113 goals in 251 appearances across all competitions in seven years since signing from Palermo.

"Dear Andrea, we take note of your decision to undertake a new experience," the club said. "From today, our paths separate.

"We have lived together seven seasons, which in modern football represents a very strong bond, always sharing with the same passion joys and sufferings, emotions and disappointments.

"We thank you for all that you have given us, proud with the contribution of everyone of what you have become for Il Toro, and we greet you with a big good luck for the continuation of your career."

Belotti becomes a free agent, but one man who had similarly reached the end of his contracts has found a new home at Inter.

Confirmation of a deal for Henrikh Mkhitaryan, the ex-Roma midfielder, had been anticipated. Andre Onana, the Ajax goalkeeper, was also expected to join the Nerazzurri.

Although Inter did not officially announce either signing immediately on Friday, their names appeared on the Serie A list alongside Romelu Lukaku and Kristjan Asllani.

Inter went back to the top of the Serie A table with a routine 3-1 win against Roma at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza on Saturday.

Goals from Denzel Dumfries, Marcelo Brozovic and Lautaro Martinez took the Nerazzurri to victory, continuing their excellent record against the team from the Italian capital, despite a late strike from Henrikh Mkhitaryan.

It was not the result or performance that former Inter coach Jose Mourinho will have been looking for, with the defeat coming as a big blow to the Giallorossi's hopes of European qualification.

Simone Inzaghi will have been very pleased with what he saw from his team, who move a point ahead of Milan in the race for the Scudetto having played the same number of games, with their city rivals facing Lazio in Rome on Sunday.

Inter took the lead just before the half-hour mark as some neat play from the home side saw Hakan Calhanoglu play a through ball to Dumfries, who ran onto it like a striker to slide the opener past Rui Patricio.

It was 2-0 just 10 minutes later as Brozovic found himself on the left side of the penalty area, before cutting inside Gianluca Mancini and firing into the far top corner of the net.

The third arrived early in the second half as a neat ball from Nicolo Barella found Martinez, whose shot was parried behind for a corner, but the Argentine headed home the resulting outswinging delivery from Calhanoglu.

There was nearly a calamitous fourth as a cross from the right was helped back to Patricio by Rick Karsdorp, and realising he could not pick the ball up, the Portugal international urgently kicked the ball away before Joaquin Correa could take advantage.

Mkhitaryan fired in a consolation past Samir Handanovic from just inside the box with five minutes remaining but it was too little too late for the visitors.

What does it mean? Nerazzurri look good for title run-in

This was a surprisingly comfortable win for Inter, coming up against a Roma side that had not been beaten in 12 Serie A matches, the longest unbeaten streak for the Giallorossi in a single league campaign since May 2016 (17 under Luciano Spalletti).

However, the ease with which they took a two-goal lead allowed them to manage the game from there, and in truth the visitors gave them very few problems.

Inter remain unbeaten in their last 10 Serie A matches against Roma (W4 D6). The last side to reach 10 straight matches without defeat against them in the competition was Milan between 1988 and 1996 (17).

Title credentials on show again

When Inter were beaten 2-0 at home by Liverpool in the Champions League and then again by Sassuolo in the league in late February, things looked bleak for Inzaghi's side.

However, they have gone unbeaten in 11 games in all competitions since then, and have won their last five, sealing a place in the Coppa Italia final and top spot in Serie A, for now.

Inter a special problem for Mourinho

Returning to one of his former clubs where he enjoyed so much success was meant to be a pleasure for the self-proclaimed "special one", but it was yet another day of misery for him.

Mourinho took charge of Inter for 76 Serie A games between 2008 and 2010, averaging 2.2 points per game. After this defeat, the Nerazzurri are the only team against which the Portuguese has lost 100 per cent of his matches against (among sides he has faced more than once in the competition).

What’s next?

Inter travel to Bologna on Wednesday for more Serie A action, while Roma head to England to face Leicester City in their Europa Conference League semi-final first leg on Thursday.

Henrikh Mkhitaryan is clear to dedicate himself to Jose Mourinho's Roma project after retiring from international football.

After winning 95 caps for Armenia, who have never qualified for a World Cup or European Championship, the former Manchester United and Arsenal midfielder will end his career in club football.

Mkhitaryan was captain of his country and a record goalscorer for the national team after netting 32 times.

He announced his retirement from the team on social media, writing a message that he titled, "Farewell my beloved national team".

The 33-year-old wrote: "I wanted to win every step of my career, no matter how difficult that would be. It was an honour to play for my nation for the past 15 years and even more so of an honour to captain it for the last six years.

"After 95 international caps, hard work, passion and unprecedented ups and downs along the journey representing my country on the field, I have taken the decision to retire from my international career with the Armenian national team.

"I came to this decision after my last game against Germany in November. I think it is the right time. I've given everything I can possibly give to my national team. For the coming years, I will therefore be fully focused on my club career.

"My soccer nest was woven in Armenia, my homeland, and I will forever be grateful to every single person who supported me, who coached me, who I played with and who contributed to my growth as a footballer and as a person."

Mkhitaryan is approaching the end of a one-year extension to his Roma contract and has performed well for head coach Mourinho.

He has started 24 Serie A games this season, with just two Roma players (Rui Patricio and Tammy Abraham) making Mourinho's starting XI more often. He has contributed five assists and three goals, with only Jordan Veretout and Lorenzo Pellegrini creating more than the 37 chances Mkhitaryan has teed up.

Italian newspaper Corriere dello Sport reported on Thursday that a deal to keep Mkhitaryan at the capital club is increasingly likely to be agreed at the end of the season.

It said there had been interest from Russian clubs Krasnodar and Spartak Moscow but that the possibility of either move has diminished amid the conflict involving Russia and Ukraine, with Mkhitaryan said to be happy about the prospect of an extended Serie A stay.

Jose Mourinho's Roma threw away a two-goal lead and squandered a late penalty as they lost 4-3 to 10-man Juventus in a whirlwind Stadio Olimpico clash.

The game was set up nicely after an early goal for each team from Tammy Abraham and Paulo Dybala, before a chaotic second period saw two strikes from distance by Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Lorenzo Pellegrini put the hosts apparently in charge.

However, a remarkable seven-minute turnaround saw goals from Manuel Locatelli, Dejan Kulusevski and Mattia De Sciglio put Juventus in front, before a Wojciech Szczesny penalty save from Pellegrini completed a miserable final 20 minutes for the Giallorossi.

Juve suffered a blow when Federico Chiesa was forced to come off with a knee injury in the first half following a tackle from Chris Smalling, and then saw Matthijs de Ligt sent off for a second yellow card in a handball incident that led to Roma's spot-kick, but they held on for a famous win in the Italian capital.

Ilkay Gundogan struck twice as Germany rounded off a dominant World Cup qualifying campaign with a 4-1 win in Armenia on Sunday. 

Kai Havertz and Jonas Hofmann were also on target for Die Mannschaft at the Vazgen Sargsyan Republican Stadium, with the hosts replying through a consolation penalty from Henrikh Mkhitaryan.

Head coach Hansi Flick made six changes from the team that thrashed Liechtenstein 9-0 on Thursday, but Germany looked strong again, easing past the side bossed by Joaquin Caparros.

The win was a ninth from 10 qualifying matches for Germany and means they finish nine points clear of second-placed North Macedonia in Group J.

Germany took the lead after 15 minutes when Hofmann played a quick one-two with Thomas Muller before crossing from the right for Havertz to steer home.

The visitors had a penalty in first-half stoppage time when a VAR review led to the verdict that Florian Neuhaus had been fouled by Taron Voskanyan in the box, and Gundogan converted with ease.

The Manchester City midfielder had his second goal five minutes into the second half when his shot from the edge of the penalty area inexplicably slipped through the grasp of Stanislav Buchnev.

Armenia captain Mkhitaryan pulled a goal back from the spot after Neuhaus fouled David Terteryan in the box just before the hour, but a mistake from Mkhitaryan allowed Hofmann to intercept and race through to restore Germany's three-goal cushion in the 64th minute.

Jose Mourinho declared Roma are establishing a promising squad after landing their second consecutive win in Serie A with a 4-0 victory over Salernitana.

Mourinho's men followed up a 3-1 defeat of Fiorentina with the four-goal rout – just the second time since the 1970s they have scored at least seven goals in their opening two Serie A matches.

It is also the first time they have started a Serie A campaign with successive wins since 2014-15. They were inspired by Henrikh Mkhitaryan who provided another assist on Sunday and has now been directly involved in eight goals in his last six top-flight games.

Mourinho, who is the third coach to win his first two Serie A games with Roma, is satisfied with the progress his side are making.

"It was impossible not to win, I was calm from the first minute because the team played really well," Mourinho told DAZN.

"I arrived happy at Roma, I was happy to be back in Italy and in a team with real fans and people who are passionate.

"I don't want too much time and tranquillity, it would go against my nature. It's not time to finish seventh or eighth, I want to speed up the growth process.

"We are building a good group, I am not saying that I would like to have more quality, but more experience.

"I need a squad and a team that is on the pitch, there are richer squads than ours but I'm working well."

Henrikh Mkhitaryan has revealed how he has fallen in love with Roma after extending his contract with the Serie A club, meaning he will once again work with Jose Mourinho.

Having already spent a season on loan at the Giallorossi, Mkhitaryan joined on a permanent basis a year ago and was a regular during the 2020-21 campaign under Paulo Fonseca.

The Armenia international scored 15 goals and provided 11 assists as he made 46 appearances in all competitions, including a run to the Europa League semi-finals that came to an emphatic halt against one of his former teams in Manchester United.

His new deal will see the 32-year-old stay for a further season after embracing life in Rome.

"Over the last two years at Roma I've fallen in love, both with the club and the city, thanks in large part to the incredible passion of the fans," Mkhitaryan said.

"The club's ambitions are very high and I am proud to have the chance to play my part as we take on all the challenges that await us next season. Daje Roma!"

However, Mkhitaryan will no longer be working with Fonseca, the Portuguese coach having been replaced by compatriot Mourinho at the Stadio Olimpico.

Mourinho was in charge at United when the Premier League side signed Mkhitaryan from Borussia Dortmund in July 2016.

The midfielder played in 41 games during his first campaign at Old Trafford but did not make it through the next year. Criticised by Mourinho for his lack of consistency, he joined Arsenal in January 2018 as part of the deal that saw Alexis Sanchez move in the opposite direction.

Now, though, Mkhitaryan and Mourinho are reunited at Roma, who will be playing in the Europa Conference League after finishing seventh in Serie A.