Simone Inzaghi suggested the effects of a gruelling season were beginning to show after Inter's 3-1 win over Cagliari in Serie A.

Saturday's win moved Inter six points clear of second-place Napoli, who host relegation-threatened Empoli on Monday.

With Inzaghi's busy side also still fighting in the Coppa Italia and Champions League, their schedule is extremely congested.

And Inzaghi says fatigue is now a major concern.

"We really cared about this match and knew it would not be easy," Inzaghi told reporters.

"We got distracted for their goal but the team remained concentrated for the rest of the game. We continue this journey. It’s a struggle but it makes us proud.

"Last season we played 49 games in total, this year we’re already on 48 and it's only April 12. It's a very heavy season but we must adjust and are doing so with everyone sacrificing themselves to help.

"Besides physical fatigue, there’s also mental fatigue. Staying focused isn’t easy but I'm fortunate to coach a group that gives everything for these colours.

"We must continue on this path knowing that we still have six league matches ahead and commitments in other competitions. It will require a lot of sacrifice, and we are ready to put it on the field."

Marko Arnautovic opened the scoring for Inter, who went 2-0 up through in-form Lautaro Martinez.

The Argentine became the first player to be involved in at least 15 goals in each of the last six Serie A seasons (12 goals and three assists in 2024-25).

Roberto Piccoli pulled one back for Cagliari, but Yann Bisseck made sure of the points for Inter.

The Nerazzurri next host Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich in their Champions League quarter-final return game on Wednesday with a 2-1 advantage from the first leg.

"We go into this fixture with a lot of confidence, knowing that we are facing one of the three or four best teams in the world," Inzaghi said.

"We’ve got to replicate that first leg performance, playing with pace, aggression and organisation."

Inter will also face AC Milan in the second leg of their Coppa Italia semi-final on April 23, with the tie level at 1-1.