Lukaku sends Inter to the top

Is targeted with monkey chants at win over Cagliari

Italian football was involved in another racism storm on Sunday as Romelu Lukaku was targeted by monkey chants before putting Inter Milan top of Serie A with the winning penalty in its 2-1 triumph at Cagliari.

Lukaku was preparing to take the spot-kick in the 71st minute in Sardinia when the racist chants came from the crowd that continued for several seconds.

The 26-year-old Belgian international angrily looked towards the stands before confidently converting his second goal in as many games, which came after Lautaro Martinez’s 28th minute opener for the Antonio Conte’s side and Joao Pedro’s leveller for the hosts four minutes after the break.

The results: Serie A: Cagliari 1 (Joao Pedro 50) lost to Inter Milan 2 (Martţnez 25, Lukaku 72-pen); Lecce 0 lost to Verona 1 (Pessina 81); Sassuolo 4 (Berardi 29, 36, 43, Traore 47) bt Sampdoria 1 (Quagliarella 67-pen); Udinese 1 (Lasagna 17) lost to Parma 3 (Gervinho 43, Gagliolo 59, Inglese 75); Atalanta 2 (Zapata 38, 54) lost to Torino 3 (Bonifazi 24, Berenguer 57, Izzo 66); Genoa 2 (Zapata 11, Kouame 65) bt Fiorentina 1 (Pulgar 76-pen)..

La Liga: Villarreal 2 (Gerard 12, Moises 74) drew with Real Madrid 2 (Bale 45+1, 86).