Inter stuns Lazio 6-0 to remind rivals of its title aspirations in Serie A

ROME (AP) — Inter Milan scored four times in a 12-minute spell either side of halftime and added another couple late on to rout Lazio 6-0 in a lopsided contest of Serie A title contenders on Monday.

Lazio was unbeaten at home in Serie A and it matched Inter for most of the first half in front of its own fans at the Stadio Olimpico.

However, four minutes from halftime Hakan Çalhanoğlu put Inter ahead from the penalty spot and Federico Dimarco doubled the lead seconds before the break when he volleyed home a cross from Denzel Dumfries.

Lazio started the game without regular defender Alessio Romagnoli and Samuel Gigot replaced center half Matias Gila midway through the first half.

When Gigot was forced off at halftime coach Marco Baroni was forced to reshuffle his back four again but the lack of experienced heads in the center of defense was evident from the restart.

Nicolò Barella made it 3-0 six minutes into the second half with a sumptuous 30-meter volley and Dumfries rose above everyone to head home the fourth two minutes later.

Carlos Augusto showed some nice footwork in the box to make it 5-0 in the 77th minute and Marcus Thuram got his 11th goal of the season in the final minute to heap on the misery for the home side.

The result meant Inter was alone in third place, three points behind leader Atalanta and one behind Napoli with a game in hand.

Lazio remained fifth.

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Inter Milan's Denzel Dumfries celebrates after scoring his side's fourth goal during the Italian Serie A soccer match between Lazio and Inter at Rome's Olympic Stadium, Rome, Italy, Monday, Dec. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

Inter Milan's Carlos Augusto, centre, celebrates after scoring his side's fifth goal during the Italian Serie A soccer match between Lazio and Inter at Rome's Olympic Stadium, Rome, Italy, Monday, Dec. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

Lazio's Matteo Guendouzi, centre, and Lazio's Adam Marusic, right, react as Inter Milan's Marcus Thuram, left on the background, celebrates after scoring his side's sixth goal during the Italian Serie A soccer match between Lazio and Inter at Rome's Olympic Stadium, Rome, Italy, Monday, Dec. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

Inter Milan players argue with referee Daniele Chiffi, right, during the Italian Serie A soccer match between Lazio and Inter at Rome's Olympic Stadium, Rome, Italy, Monday, Dec. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

Lazio's Matteo Guendouzi, right, and Inter Milan's Marcus Thuram, left, in action during the Italian Serie A soccer match between Lazio and Inter at Rome's Olympic Stadium, Rome, Italy, Monday, Dec. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

Inter Milan's Denzel Dumfries, centre right, controls the ball during the Italian Serie A soccer match between Lazio and Inter at Rome's Olympic Stadium, Rome, Italy, Monday, Dec. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

Inter Milan's Alessandro Bastoni in action during the Italian Serie A soccer match between Lazio and Inter at Rome's Olympic Stadium, Rome, Italy, Monday, Dec. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes has a high-ankle sprain, additional testing confirmed, and his status for this week's game against Houston remains in question, a person familiar with the results told The Associated Press on Monday.

The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the team did not announce any updates. The Chiefs did not have any usual availability Monday, but are scheduled to practice Tuesday ahead of their Saturday matchup with the Texans.

Mahomes was hurt when his ankle was rolled up on while being tackled by the Browns' Dalvin Tomlinson on a fourth down play late in the Chiefs' 21-7 win Sunday. Mahomes limped to the sideline and Carson Wentz played the rest of the way in his place, but the two-time MVP insisted afterward that he would have lobbied to play if the Browns had gotten within one score.

“I feel like I could have finished the game in different circumstances," Mahomes said afterward, “but I thought the smart decision, I think we talked about, was to put Carson in, and he’s played a lot of football, and he finished the game well.”

Mahomes has a history of ankle injuries, including a similar one against Jacksonville in Week 1 of the 2019 season. But perhaps most memorable was the playoffs in the 2022 season, when Mahomes hurt his ankle in a divisional-round win over the Jaguars, then played through the pain in beating Cincinnati for the AFC title and Philadelphia in the Super Bowl.

“I mean, they're all different. Every injury is different,” Mahomes said. “You know what you have to do to get back. And I think that is the most important thing. And now we just get back to the rehab part — the treatment part — and try to get ourselves ready on a short week against a good football team.”

Indeed, the schedule is doing the Chiefs no favors. They have one less day of recovery this week because of their Saturday game against Houston, then they have another short week with a trip to Pittsburgh scheduled for Christmas Day.

“We’ll just see how it goes,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said after Sunday's game. "We are going to go day to day as we go through it. I don’t know how much swelling he has or any of that, so we don’t know what will come.”

The Chiefs (13-1) have a two-game lead over Buffalo for the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs, though the Bills hold the tiebreaker. The Texans have clinched the AFC South while the Steelers lead the AFC North and have clinched a playoff berth.

Kansas City wraps up the regular season with a trip to the Broncos, who are also closing in on a spot in the postseason.

If the Chiefs play it safe by resting Mahomes on Saturday — and even next week against Pittsburgh — they feel confident in the ability of Wentz to win a game. He was a Pro Bowl pick in 2017 during his first five seasons in Philadelphia, and he is 47-45-1 as a starter, including his year in Indianapolis, another in Washington and a single spot start last season for the Rams.

Wentz, who signed a $3.325 million contract with Kansas City to replace Blaine Gabbert as Mahomes' backup, completed both of his pass attempts for 20 yards and helped the Chiefs run out the clock against the Browns on Sunday.

“I have a lot of trust with Carson,” Mahomes said. “I mean, he’s played football and he’s won football games and put him out there and they did a great job moving the football running time off the clock, and putting us in position to win the football game.”

NOTES: The Chiefs waived RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire on Monday. He was the 32nd overall pick in the 2020 draft, but ran for just 1,845 yards and 12 touchdowns while appearing in 48 games over four years in Kansas City. The well-liked Edwards-Helaire dealt with injuries and personal issues throughout his career and had not appeared in a game this season.

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Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes speaks at a news conference after an NFL football game against the Cleveland Browns in Cleveland, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/David Richard)

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes watches play during the second half of an NFL football game against the Cleveland Browns, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/David Richard)