Simone Inzaghi believes Inter have achieved "something special" by qualifying from a Champions League group that also contained Bayern Munich and Barcelona.

Inter thrashed Viktoria Plzen 4-0 in San Siro on Wednesday to confirm their place in the last 16, with the victory putting them out of Barcelona's reach.

When the draw was made, most felt Inter were the outsiders with Bayern and big-spending Barca expected to go through.

But Inter took four points from two games against the Blaugrana, results that ultimately proved crucial in beating Xavi's men to qualification.

Inter secured their progress with a match to spare, leaving Inzaghi elated with an achievement that he feels goes beyond his previous expectations.

"To achieve this goal, the first of the season, we had to do something special and we did it," he told Amazon Prime.

"We have grown from game to game. The opener with Bayern was tough but then we had a double-header with Barcelona that gave us a lot of belief. We are happy for the club and for our fans.

"There was hope. We knew we had ended up in a very difficult group because Barcelona and Bayern are very strong.

"We went beyond expectations, qualifying with a game to go. You have to give the boys a big round of applause."

Romelu Lukaku's goalscoring return from injury was the icing on the cake for Inter, who were already 3-0 up when the Belgian came on in the 83rd minute.

Lukaku – who had been out for two months – scored four minutes after his introduction, and Inzaghi is hopeful of Marcelo Brozovic following the striker in coming back into the fold very soon.

"He's doing great," Inzaghi said of Brozovic, who has been absent for a month with a thigh injury.

"Playing every three days, we need everyone. Now Lukaku is back, we'll try to include Brozovic in the next few days.

"We missed them in this period because when you play every three days you must have the possibility to change personnel."

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.

Liverpool can seal progression to the Champions League last 16 when they play on Wednesday, but Barcelona could see their exit confirmed from Europe's top competition.

Jurgen Klopp's Reds make the trip to face Ajax in Group A knowing they are guaranteed a spot in the Europa League at the very least – and simply avoiding defeat would guarantee their place in the Champions League knockout stages.

It is a more dicey affair for Xavi's Barca, however, as they welcome Bayern Munich to Camp Nou in Group C knowing a loss would spell the end of their journey. Even a win will not be enough if Inter defeat Viktoria Plzen.

Tottenham will hope to keep their noses in front in Group D, with Marseille and Sporting CP just a point behind, while Atletico Madrid have work to do in Group B.

Stats Perform previews Wednesday's eight matches by picking through the Opta data.

Ajax v Liverpool

Ajax have made for generous opponents for Liverpool of late, losing their last three against the Reds in the Champions League. Only Juventus (four, 1997-2004) and Real Madrid (seven, 2010-2019) have previously won four in a row against Ajax in the European Cup or Champions League.

Yet Ajax remain the last Dutch side to achieve a home win against Liverpool, albeit that was back in 1966, with the Premier League side unbeaten in seven subsequent trips to the Netherlands.

Liverpool's countrymen have also made hay, as Ajax have won just one of their last eight home European matches against English teams, beating Manchester City in October 2012.

With or without another strong result, this will be an historic occasion for Liverpool and Klopp, who will match Rafael Benitez's 62 Champions League matches in charge of the Reds, who bring up 150 games in the competition.

Barcelona v Bayern Munich

Needing a win, Barca might have hoped to face any team but Bayern, who have a record three Champions League away wins at the Blaugrana. Along with Juventus and Real Madrid, they are one of three teams to have won more matches at Barca than they have lost.

Home and away, Barca have lost nine of their 12 Champions League matches against Bayern, including the past five in a row.

In fact, if Bayern win again, they will match Madrid's record of 10 wins against a single opponent in the competition – Madrid's dominance coming against Bayern.

Although Bayern are already through, they are seeking a fourth home-and-away double against Barca in a Champions League season (also 1998-99, 2012-13 and 2021-22). Dynamo Kyiv (in 1997-98) are the only other team to beat Barca twice in the same campaign even once.

Tottenham Hotspur v Sporting CP

Sporting won 2-0 against Tottenham in Portugal in what was the sides' first meeting, but they have a dismal record in England, with two victories in 15 attempts away to English sides.

Spurs have won six of their seven home European matches against Portuguese opposition, only losing to Benfica in the 2013-14 Europa League.

Both of Tottenham's wins in this campaign have come at home, where Antonio Conte is bidding to become just the second Spurs coach to win each of his first three at home in the Champions League – after Harry Redknapp.

He and Tottenham will know they must keep their focus early and late; Sporting's last three Champions League goals have come in either the first or last minutes of the match, netting twice in second-half stoppage time in the reverse fixture.

Atletico Madrid v Bayer Leverkusen

Atletico have not lost at home to Leverkusen in their prior four such matches, winning two and drawing two, but the Bundesliga team have started to turn the tide, winning two in a row against them in the Champions League.

That strong home record applies whenever Atletico face German opposition, though, as Borussia Dortmund were the last Bundesliga visitors to win there in 1996. Atleti are unbeaten in 11 since.

Diego Simeone needs his team to rediscover their scoring touch, having gone three without a goal in the Champions League.

That is their worst run under Simeone. Only once in the competition have Atletico gone four without netting, back in 2009 under Abel Resino.

Other fixtures:

Club Brugge v Porto

21 – Club Brugge goalkeeper Simon Mignolet has saved all 21 of the shots on target he has faced in the Champions League this season. He has prevented a competition-leading 4.9 goals, according to expected goals on target data.

4 – Four of Porto's last seven Champions League goals have come from the penalty spot.

Inter v Viktoria Plzen

12 – Inter have scored 12 of their last 14 Champions League goals in the second halves of matches. All three against Barca last time out came after the interval – only the third time an away team has netted three second-half goals at Camp Nou in this competition.

28 – Plzen have averaged just 28 per cent of the possession in the Champions League this season, the lowest average by a team in a single season since Opta data collection began in 2003-04.

Napoli v Rangers

4 – Napoli have won all four of their matches in the Champions League this season and could become the first Italian side to win their opening five games in a single campaign since Juventus in 2004-05. 

12 – No goalkeeper has faced more shots on target (29) or conceded more goals (12) than Rangers' Allan McGregor in the Champions League this season. Indeed, he has only kept four clean sheets in 21 appearances in the competition overall.

Eintracht Frankfurt v Marseille

50 – Eintracht Frankfurt's Mario Gotze could make his 50th start in the Champions League in this match. He has been involved in 25 goals in his previous 65 appearances, including 21 in his 49 starts.

3 – Marseille have won their last two games in the Champions League – both against Sporting CP – and will be looking to win three in a row for the first time since October-December 2010, when they won four on the spin under Didier Deschamps.

Fiorentina have hit out at "plainly false" media reports accusing club president Rocco Commisso of "aggressive and intimidating" behaviour towards Inter players and staff after Saturday's Serie A meeting.

Inter were 4-3 winners at the Stadio Artemio Franchi, but the game was subsequently marred by claims in the press of ugly scenes off the pitch.

It was claimed Commisso aggressively banged on the door to Inter's changing room, while Inter CEO Giuseppe Marotta and Fiorentina general manager Joe Barone were said to have engaged in a heated disagreement.

The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) began an investigation into the alleged incidents on Monday, but Fiorentina have since released a statement insisting the media reports were false, with Inter president Steven Zhang apparently assuring Viola officials the stories did not come from him or his staff.

Fiorentina's statement read: "ACF Fiorentina can confirm that Inter president Steven Zhang has spoken to Fiorentina general manager Giuseppe Barone.

"The Nerazzurri president clarified that neither he nor any other [Inter] club directors ever claimed – at any time or to any individual – what was published by some newspapers on Saturday evening after the Fiorentina v Inter match. These reports alleged that president Rocco Commisso behaved in an aggressive and intimidating manner in the away dressing room. This never took place.

"Fiorentina has taken note of what president Zhang said and would like to highlight that some members of the press are quick to portray president Rocco Commisso in a bad light without carrying out due and diligent checks on the reliability of their information and sources, publicly attributing bad behaviour to Fiorentina's president which has no factual grounding.

"Sadly, once again we are left to rue the fact that the club and its fans have fallen victim to inaccurate reporting by certain members of the media, who reported plainly false information which has caused serious damage to the image of the club and the president.

"We reiterate that Fiorentina has the greatest respect for journalists and their work and expects this to be reciprocated with the club and its employees by not publishing unverified stories which have no basis in reality."

Simone Inzaghi is optimistic Inter can keep hold of Milan Skriniar as they look to clinch a Champions League last-16 spot and eliminate Barcelona.

Slovakian defender Skriniar was wanted by Paris Saint-Germain during the last transfer window, and they could return to sign him on a free transfer next year.

That is because Skriniar's contract with Inter expires after this season, but head coach Inzaghi is backing club officials to negotiate an extension before then.

It has been suggested that in order to do a deal, Inter might need the financial boost a run in the Champions League can provide.

Should Inter beat Viktoria Plzen on Wednesday at San Siro, that would assure the Serie A giants of a last-16 place while ending Barcelona's hopes of reaching the knock-out phase.

Asked about the Skriniar situation, Inzaghi said: "I am fortunate to have excellent directors who are already thinking about this.

"We have other players in the same situation, I hope everything can be resolved.

"Skriniar is clearly improving, he resumed his summer training late after an injury with the national team. He is showing clear improvement, like the whole team ".

Romelu Lukaku is close to a first-team return after almost two months on the sidelines with a thigh injury, as he looks to get fit and match sharp in time for Belgium's World Cup campaign.

Inzaghi said Lukaku, who is on loan from Chelsea, "is working with great enthusiasm" and close to featuring again in the first team.

The World Cup is inevitably on the minds of many, and Inzaghi pointed to expecting seven players from his squad to be involved in the Qatar 2022 finals.

Marcel Brozovic, the Croatian midfielder is among those, and like Lukaku he has been sidelined with thigh trouble of late.

"But I see all the others working well," Inzaghi said. "They all think about Inter and are working hard, also to be ready when they go to the World Cup."

For now, Inter are focused on escaping what was considered a 'group of death' when the draw was made, with German champions Bayern Munich the other side involved.

Bayern have raced away at the top of the group, as expected, and Inter qualifying for the next round ahead of Barcelona would register as a surprise to many.

"Qualification was a very distant thing in everyone's mind on the day of the draw, except for me and my players who have always worked for this," Inzaghi said.

"We hope to give great satisfaction to the fans and to the club. We know how much we have worked in these four games: we have to show that we are a great team."

Cristiano Ronaldo remains in limbo at Manchester United after being exiled after exiting their 2-0 win over Tottenham prematurely last week.

Ronaldo and United manager Erik ten Hag were set for talks before a decision was made on letting him return to first-team training and be considered to play.

The 37-year-old Portuguese apologised for the incident on social media, but the situation appears delicate after an off-season where Ronaldo chased a move away from United.

TOP STORY – TEN HAG WILLING TO LET RONALDO GO IN JANUARY

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag is willing to let Cristiano Ronaldo leave in January, reports The Mirror.

The Dutchman has publicly said Ronaldo is wanted at Old Trafford, but is ready to allow him to move on should an appropriate suitor be found, amid fresh links with Chelsea via Sunday World.

Ronaldo had pushed for an off-season move to a Champions League club but was unable to find a home, while he rejected a lucrative offer from an unnamed Saudi Arabian club.

ROUND-UP

– Le10Sport claims that Paris Saint-Germain are open to renewal talks with veteran Spanish defender Sergio Ramos ,   who is out of contract at the end of this season.

– Chelsea are eager to sign Inter right-back Denzel Dumfries amid interest from Juventus , claims Calciomercato.

– Barcelona and Atletico Madrid are both weighing up making an offer to sign Juve midfielder Adrien Rabiot , Calciomercato also reports.

– Arsenal 's interest in Eintracht Frankfurt defender Evan Ndicka has cooled, according to the Express. West Ham are also interested in the Frenchman.

Lautaro Martinez dismissed speculation over a move to Bayern Munich or Paris Saint-Germain, stating he hopes to "become a legend" at Inter.

Chelsea, Bayern and PSG are among a host of Europe's elite clubs that have repeatedly been linked to the forward, who will aim for World Cup glory with Argentina in November.

Julian Nagelsmann's side remain on the hunt for a like-for-like replacement for Robert Lewandowski, while Martinez's Argentina team-mate Lionel Messi could draw the Inter star to the French capital.

However, Martinez refuted reports of a move away from San Siro as he outlined his long-term ambitions with Inter.

"I'm fine, I'm happy here," Martinez told Rai Sport. "I hope I can become a legend, I have a contract here and I only think about Inter. 

"There are many goals from now on and we hope to continue like this."

Martinez scored 21 goals in 35 Serie A appearances as Inter finished second to rivals Milan last season, though he endured a lean spell in front of goal at the start of this campaign.

The 25-year-old failed to find the net in five straight league games but ended that poor form with a strike against Sassuolo on Wednesday, before a brace and an assist against Fiorentina on Saturday.

A dramatic 4-3 victory over Fiorentina – courtesy of Henrikh Mkhitaryan's fortuitous winner – lifted Inter to seventh in Serie A, but the Nerazzurri still sit five points behind leaders Napoli, who have a game in hand.

Cristiano Ronaldo's future at Manchester United is coming to a head, having stormed out of their midweek win over Tottenham.

Ronaldo was sanctioned by the club and suspended for Saturday's 1-1 draw with Chelsea, but United boss Erik ten Hag has reiterated the Portuguese has a role to play at the club.

However, the 37-year-old has been frustrated by his status this season after trying to force a move away in the close season.

TOP STORY – CHELSEA FLOAT OFFER TO RONALDO FOR JANUARY

Chelsea are set to offer Cristiano Ronaldo a January lifeline with the club reigniting their interest in the five-time Ballon d'Or winner, according to Sunday World.

Ex-manager Thomas Tuchel was not keen to pursue Blues owner Todd Boehly's interest in Ronaldo in the last transfer window but with the German gone Chelsea are ready to move, drawn in by the Portuguese's huge commercial appeal.

The report claims Chelsea have floated a short-term deal until the end of the season to Ronaldo, with the option of a further year. Ronaldo is prepared to accept a pay cut to make the deal happen too.

ROUND-UP

– Napoli's Georgian whizz Khvicha Kvaratskhelia is being tracked by Manchester City, claim The Sun. The winger only joined Napoli in July but has dazzled with seven goals in 14 appearances.

– Calciomercato claims Chelsea defender Trevor Chalobah is being tracked by Inter as a potential replacement for the soon-to-be out of contract Milan Skriniar.

– Barcelona have an interest in young Borussia Dortmund striker Youssouf Moukoko, according to SPORT.

– The Mirror reports Real Madrid are interested in Manchester United's Portuguese right-back Diogo Dalot. Barcelona are also monitoring him.

– The Sun also reports Manchester United have joined Liverpool in pursuing a move for Chicago Fire's Colombian teenage forward Jhon Duran.

Inter head coach Simone Inzaghi has declared he was "never worried" about Lautaro Martinez, after his return to goalscoring form.

The Argentina striker endured a five-match scoreless streak in Serie A before he was on target against Salernitana in midweek, having also found the back of the net in a 3-3 Champions League draw with Barcelona.

He claimed a double to make it four goals in three games and contributed an assist in Inter's dramatic 4-3 victory at Fiorentina on Saturday.

Martinez was the catalyst for Nicolo Barella's opening goal, then weaved his way through the defence to double his side's lead and showing composure from the spot to put Inter 3-2 up in the second half after the Viola had got back on level terms.

Luka Jovic's late strike then looked to have earned the Fiorentina a point, but Henrikh Mkhitaryan's fortune goal five minutes into time added on settled a classic contest.

Martinez's brace took his tally in Serie A this season to six, putting him joint-top in the scoring charts, and Inzaghi said he never had any concerns about the 25-year-old's lack of goals.

"I was not worried about Toro even when he was not scoring, because he always does what he has to do in training and in the game, beyond the goals," he told Gazzetta dello Sport.

The Inter boss also backed Joaquin Correa, who saw his struggles continue with his display in Florence, adding: "Correa was well placed tonight at the service of the team and well positioned with Lautaro.

"He was used to always playing, he must be good at carving out the right moments. He can only grow and will improve a lot."

Inter are also set to be boosted by the return of key players from injury, with Romelu Lukaku, Marcelo Brozovic and Roberto Gagliardini set to be back in contention.

"We can't wait. I have never had them in these games. Lukaku, Brozovic and Gagliardini will return. We need it," Inzaghi said after seeing his side move back above Juventus into seventh place.

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.

The Frenkie de Jong transfer rumour mill is heating up once again as we get closer to January, with Chelsea and Liverpool reportedly set to join Manchester United in the pursuit of the Barcelona midfielder.

De Jong, 25, was one of the most ubiquitous names in the most recent transfer window, with United and Barcelona in regular communication as Erik ten Hag tried to recruit his former Ajax pupil.

After deciding to remain at Camp Nou, despite the LaLiga club urging him to leave to help ease their finances, De Jong has started six out of 14 matches for the Blaugrana so far this season.

With their Champions League campaign looking headed for an early exit, and more playing time likely on the table in the Premier League, it may seem more palatable for the Dutch international to make the jump in January.

TOP STORY – PREMIER LEAGUE GIANTS PREPARE BIDS FOR BARCELONA'S DE JONG

Barcelona and United agreed on a deal starting at €65million plus add-ons before De Jong decided to veto the move by refusing to sign a contract with the Old Trafford side.

With his contract still tying him to Barcelona until 2026, there is no reason to believe that figure would dip unless the Catalan outfit are desperate to get a deal done.

ESPN's report claims Chelsea have had their interest spurred by the injury status of N'Golo Kante, who will apparently miss around four months after undergoing surgery on his hamstring, while Liverpool have made no secret about their desire for midfield reinforcements, and are said to have contacted De Jong's representatives.

ROUND-UP

– According to Football Italia, Juventus will be willing to sell 24-year-old American midfielder Weston McKennie for €20m in January.   

– The Evening Standard is reporting Arsenal are interested in 23-year-old Eintracht Frankfurt centre-back Evan Ndicka, with the French international set to become a free agent at the end of the season.

– Wilfried Zaha is likely to reject a new contract from Crystal Palace so he can join a top-six Premier League side when his deal expires at the end of the season, per the Daily Mail.

– Football Insider claims 17-year-old Borussia Dortmund forward Youssoufa Moukoko has caught the eye of the world's elite clubs, with interest coming from Real Madrid, Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain and Liverpool.

– Le 10 Sport is reporting Inter view Sevilla centre-back Tanguy Nianzou and Valencia's Mouctar Diakhaby as potential replacements for Milan Skriniar, with the Slovakian expected to leave in January.

Romelu Lukaku is expected to return from injury when Inter host Viktoria Plzen in the Champions League next Wednesday, Simone Inzaghi has revealed.

Lukaku scored 24 goals as Inter won the Serie A title in the 2020-2 season, and was expected to play a key role in another tilt at the Scudetto after returning on a season-long loan from Chelsea.

However, a thigh injury has kept Lukaku sidelined since August, with the Belgium striker's recovery taking longer than was initially expected.

With Inter bidding to secure qualification for the Champions League round of 16 next week, Inzaghi is keen to get Lukaku back, but he will not feature at Fiorentina in Serie A on Saturday.

"He has been training partially in a group for two days. He has to regain his condition, but he is very motivated," Inter head coach Inzaghi said. "Finally, after a very long time, he has overcome the injury. 

"He will not be with us tomorrow in Florence, [but] we try to bring him back on Wednesday. He has to find his condition, but after seeing him work, I am confident."

Inter finished just two points behind rivals Milan at the culmination of the Scudetto battle last season, but are already eight points adrift of leaders Napoli this campaign.

Asked whether Inter could still play a part in the title race, Inzaghi added: "Now we have to look at the calendar, to be realistic. 

"There is a gap and they are racing ahead, now the goal is to recover points in the league and go through in the Champions League.

"What matters most is to think game-by-game, now there are so many games missing until the [World Cup] break, and we have to get there in the best possible way."

Inter have won on their last two Serie A trips to Fiorentina; only once in their history have they won three successive away league games against the Viola (between 1977 and 1980).

Meanwhile, the Nerazzurri are unbeaten in their last 10 league meetings with Fiorentina (W5 D5), having lost five of their previous six games against them (W1).

Chelsea have reportedly identified two major targets for the January transfer window, with plans to secure RB Leipzig's Christopher Nkunku and Lille's Jonathan David.

Nkunku has been in brilliant form over the past 18 months. He netted 35 goals in 52 club appearances last season and was rewarded with his international debut for France in March. Having been equally as brilliant for Leipzig this season, the former Paris Saint-Germain attacker is set for a breakout World Cup campaign with the reigning champions.

David will also be at the World Cup, representing Canada in only their second qualification for a finals, and the country's first since 1986. With Lille, the 22-year-old has nine goals and two assists in 11 Ligue 1 games this season.

Chelsea's interest in Nkunku has been well-established for months, while David is newly on their radar, and both could be wearing blue by the end of January.

TOP STORY – CHELSEA PLAN TO SPLASH THE CASH

News emerged in recent weeks that Chelsea were able to conduct a preliminary medical on Nkunku in the recent transfer window, and despite Leipzig's wishes to retain his services until the end of the season, The Mirror is reporting Chelsea are trying to get a deal done in January for a price in the range of £52million.

Meanwhile, Jeunesfooteux claims it will cost Chelsea at least £60m to tempt Lille into letting go of David, as the Canadian is still under contract until June 2025.

The Mirror's report adds Chelsea are hoping to land Brighton and Hove Albion's Leandro Trossard – who head coach Graham Potter developed an affinity for during his time with the Seagulls. They could face competition from Atletico Madrid, however.

ROUND-UP:

– Calciomercato is reporting Juventus have an interest in Atletico midfielder Rodrigo De Paul and Eintracht Frankfurt centre-back Evan Ndicka.

– According to The Evening Standard, highly desired Serie A talents Milan Skriniar of Inter and Rafael Leao of Milan appear likely to sign contract extensions with their respective clubs.

– Sky Sports Germany claims Bayern Munich remain heavily interested in Tottenham striker Harry Kane, who will have 18 months remaining on his contract when the January transfer window arrives.

– Napoli winger Hirving Lozano is likely to leave the club in January, according to Calciomercato, as his contract demands are said to be more than the Italian side are comfortable with.

– The Guardian is reporting Manchester United are delaying their contract decisions for David de Gea and Marcus Rashford as Erik ten Hag wants to see more before potentially offering extensions.

Lautaro Martinez believes Sunday's 2-0 win over Salernitana proved Inter have matured as a result of honest conversations that occurred in the changing room during their difficult run.

Their win at San Siro made it four games unbeaten across all competitions for the Nerazzurri, though that run followed a sequence of five defeats in 10 at the start of the season.

Before Sunday's game, Inter defender Alessandro Bastoni told Sky Italia their recent improvement came after purposeful talks among the players behind the scenes.

Bastoni indicated Inter came to understand there were too many players complaining about others, with this realisation helping force a change in attitude.

While Martinez – scorer of the first goal on Sunday – did not want to elaborate on specifics, he feels Inter are past their issues.

"What we say in the locker room stays there," he said to Sky Italia. "We talked a lot after the defeats, we started working and it shows on the pitch.

"This victory means that we have grown and matured after the match against Barcelona at home.

"We are fine, we have to continue like this."

Asked if Inter are "back", he added: "We are on the right path, we have moved on."

Inter's early season struggles led to head coach Simone Inzaghi coming under pressure, though he insists he was never particularly concerned, well aware such scrutiny is to be expected in his job.

He said: "It is normal that things weren't working out, we looked at 84 points last year as a defeat, behind Milan.

"We come from three wins and a draw – what I look at now is on the field. There are pressures and there always will be – I know what job I'm doing.

"We had control of this match from the start to the end. We have to continue like this, things are going well and they have to get better."

Inter clinched their third win in four games as they comfortably beat Salernitana 2-0 at San Siro.

Simone Inzaghi had come under pressure after a shaky start to the season saw Inter lose five of their first 10 matches, but they are now unbeaten in four and built on Wednesday's promising 3-3 draw away to Barcelona with three points in Serie A.

Lautaro Martinez's long-range effort gave Inter a first-half lead on Sunday, and although the hosts struggled to add to that initially, Salernitana rarely looked capable of posing much of a threat.

A brilliant Nicolo Barella goal put Inter in complete control just before the hour, ensuring the Nerazzurri moved to within two points of the top four for at least a few hours.

The visitors' resistance lasted just 13 minutes as Martinez's 25-yard strike bobbled awkwardly on its way past Luigi Sepe and into the bottom-left corner.

Edin Dzeko headed agonisingly wide as Inter looked to put the game beyond Salernitana, before Sepe kept out Milan Skriniar's powerful close-range effort.

But Inter's best opportunity to double the lead before the break came on the stroke of half-time – Martinez missed the ball as he tried to backheel Denzel Dumfries' pass goalwards, with Sepe saving a point-blank header when the Argentinian was offered a fortunate reprieve.

Boulaye Dia forced Inter goalkeeper Andre Onana into action early in the second half, but the points were wrapped up four minutes later.

Barella brought Hakan Calhanoglu's pinpoint pass down exquisitely in the box before flicking the ball past a defender and drilling left-footed into the bottom-right corner to seal a routine triumph.

What does it mean? – Inzaghi building positivity again

It was not so long ago that Inzaghi looked in real danger of losing his job. He certainly is not out of the woods yet, but things are going in the right direction.

With three wins and a draw – which itself was very nearly a victory – in the past 12 days, Inter are beginning to look a little more like their usual selves.

While this may not have been a spectacular performance, you have to credit the professionalism in Inter's display. Salernitana hardly threatened at all.

Calhanoglu pulls the strings

Much of what was good about Inter's performance stemmed from Calhanoglu. The Turkey international's four key passes led the match, and he also got an assist for Barella's goal with that wonderful long-range pass into the box.

Piatek virtually anonymous

Former Milan forward Krzysztof Piatek was particularly quiet for Salernitana. He probably was not helped by being seemingly shunted out to the right, but even then he might have been a bit more involved. The Poland international was unsurprisingly withdrawn just after Inter's second goal, having had just one attempt, though he did get it on target at least.

What's next?

Inter go to Fiorentina on Saturday, while Salernitana host Spezia the same day.