Late first-half goals from Denzel Dumfries and Lautaro Martínez, a second-half penalty from Hakan Çalhanoğlu, as well as a low strike from Francesco Pio Esposito helped Inter to a comfortable 4-0 win over Union Saint-Gilloise at Lotto Park.
The victory moves Inter up to second in the UEFA Champions League league phase, continuing their unbeaten start to the competition, while Union drop to 23rd in the standings.
As it happened
Promise David almost got the home side off to a dream start in the third minute after he cut inside from the right and forced Yann Sommer to make a great save before the ball was cleared for a corner.
From the resulting corner, the ball fell to Christian Burgess – his shot at goal was headed off the line by Lautaro Martínez to Mathias Rasmussen on the edge of the box, whose volley was tipped over the bar by Sommer.
Inter nearly took the lead 16 minutes in as Martínez had the ball chipped through to him in the box, but his low cross to the back post was deflected narrowly wide by Francesco Pio Esposito.
Union countered on the left wing through Ousseynou Niang, who crossed the ball to Anouar Ait El Hadj. The number ten’s effort from the edge of the box was saved by Sommer.
Hakan Çalhanoglu put a corner into the centre of the box where Esposito’s free header went narrowly over the bar just before the half-hour mark.
Anan Khalaili picked the ball up on the right a few minutes later; his low cross was nudged towards goal by David, but Sommer scrambled across his goal line to keep the scoreline level.
Piotr Zielinski put a through ball into Martínez, who forced Kjell Scherpen to make a fantastic close-range save and send the ball out for a corner.
Inter took advantage of the set-piece, taking the lead as the ball was headed down by Yann Bisseck to Dumfries, who hammered the ball in from close range.
Moments from half-time, Inter got their second when Esposito laid the ball across to Martínez. The Argentinian rifled the ball into the top right corner, handing the Italian side a two-goal advantage heading into the break.
Çalhanoglu crossed the ball in from the right to Martínez five minutes after half-time. After heading the ball towards goal, VAR suggested referee Glenn Nyberg check the monitor, and a penalty was given as the ball had come off Kevin Mac Allister’s hand.
Çalhanoglu made no mistake from the spot, slotting the ball into the bottom left corner and extending Inter’s lead to three.
Union tried getting back into the game 10 minutes later after Marc Giger played Niang through, but he flashed his effort wide.
Inter should have had their fourth a few minutes later after Dumfries cut the ball back to Esposito on the six-yard box, but the striker sliced his effort wide of the open goal.
Petar Sučić played Frattesi through, but another fantastic save by Scherpen kept Inter’s lead at three.
Minutes later, Inter got their fourth as Ange-Yoan Bonny cut the ball back to Esposito who placed the ball through Scherpen’s legs.
Khalaili tried getting a consolation goal for Union as he fizzed a low cross to the back post, which was narrowly missed by Kevin Rodriguez.
Raul Florucz had the last real attempt of the game five minutes from the 90, as he brought a long ball down in the box, but his effort was saved by Sommer.
The lineups
USG: Scherpen; Leysen, Burgess (C), Mac Allister; Niang, Zorgane, Rasmussen, Khalaili; El Hadj, Van de Perre; David
INT: Sommer; Bastoni, De Vrij, Bisseck; Augusto, Zielinski, Çalhanoglu, Frattesi, Dumfries; Martínez (C), Esposito