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.

Inter stuns Lazio 6-0 to remind rivals of its title aspirations in Serie A | iNFOnews.ca — 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)

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.