Inter Milan clinched second place in Serie A, disparagingly described by coach Antonio Conte last month as the “best of the losers”, when it ended Atalanta's 19-match unbeaten run with a 2-0 away win on Saturday.
Danilo D'Ambrosio and Ashley Young scored in the opening 20 minutes as Inter finished the season with 82 points, one behind leader Juventus which lost its final game 3-1 at home to AS Roma.
Atalanta, whose last defeat was at home to SPAL in Serie A in January, finished third with 78 points. The host appeared to have one eye on its Champions League quarterfinal against Paris St Germain on August 12.
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Inter Milan was off the mark in less than two minutes when Atalanta goalkeeper Pierluigi Gollini flapped at a corner and D'Ambrosio headed into the net. Gollini was injured in the process and had to be replaced by Marco Sportiello.
Young extended Inter's lead with a delightful goal after 20 minutes, cutting inside and then curling the ball past Sportiello from the edge of the area.
Last month, Conte, frustrated after seeing his team let several games slip from their grasp, said he was not interested in the race for second place.
“I say it's the first of the losers. There are those who are content with this, but it has no meaning for me,” he said.
- IMMOBILEEQUALSSERIE ASCORINGRECORDINLAZIOLOSSATNAPOLI -
Lazio forward Ciro Immobile equalled the Serie A scoring record for a single season when he was on target in his side's 3-1 loss at Napoli in its final game of the season.
The 30-year-old took his tally to 36 goals, equalling the record set by Gonzalo Higuain for Napoli in the 2015-16 season. He also finished the season five goals clear of the next leading scorer, Cristiano Ronaldo of Juventus.
Fabian Ruiz gave Napoli a ninth-minute lead with a shot from outside the penalty area which took a deflection and looped into the net, leaving goalkeeper Thomas Strakosha helpless.
Lorenzo Insigne struck the post for Napoli before Immobile equalised in the 22nd minute, sweeping the ball between goalkeeper David Ospina and his near post from Adam Marusic's pass.
Napoli regained the lead from a penalty in the 54th minute, Insigne sending Strakosha the wrong way after Dries Mertens was caught by Marco Parolo when he was about to shoot. Matteo Politano added a third in stoppage time.
Lazio finished fourth with 78 points and Coppa Italia winner Napoli ended the season seventh with 62 points.
- IBRAHIMOVIC SCORES AFTER MISSING PENALTY IN MILAN WIN OVER CAGLIARI -
AC Milan veteran Zlatan Ibrahimovic had a penalty saved but later scored as his side finished the Serie A season with a 3-0 win over Cagliari.
The 38-year-old, possibly playing the final match of his second stint at the club, took his tally to 10 league goals since returning in January and became the oldest player to score 10 or more goals in a Serie A season.
The Swede's contract ended with Saturday's match although he could extend it into next season according to some Italian media reports.
AC Milan went ahead with an own goal by Ragnar Klavan in the 11th minute. Rafael Leao hit the post from a narrow angle but the ball bounced off the Estonian defender and into the net.
Leao also rattled the crossbar before Milan was awarded a penalty for handball by Sebastian Walukiewicz one minute before halftime. However, Ibrahimovic's spot kick was saved by Alessio Cragno.
Ibrahimovic made amends when he scored with an emphatic finish from Samu Castillejo's pass in the 55th minute, and Castillejo exchanged passes with Giacoma Bonaventura to score the third two minutes later.
Milan, unbeaten since the season restarted in June, finished sixth with 66 points and will play in the Europa League qualifying rounds next season.
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