Having seen a number of their top-four rivals drop points earlier in the day, Inter - fresh from a superb victory over AC Milan in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final on Wednesday - knew the importance of a positive result.
However, with three competitions still to juggle, Simone Inzaghi rang the changes ahead of Sassuolo's visit, and this was reflected in a disjointed opening 20 minutes for the hosts, as Domenico Berardi saw an early strike disallowed for a marginal offside.
Grateful for the reprieve, Inter desperately tried to gain a foothold in the contest, however a distinct lack of cutting edge in the final third continued to prove problematic, with Joaquin Correa heading the Nerazzurri’s best opportunity narrowly over the bar.
Determined to find a breakthrough before half-time, the hosts’ patience was finally rewarded in the 41st minute, as Romelu Lukaku spun away from Ruan Tressoldi and unleashed a stunning effort into the top-right corner to score his fourth league goal in as many games.
Inter carried the momentum that goal created into the early stages of the second half and came close to doubling their lead within minutes of the restart when substitute Lautaro Martinez sliced a close-range strike wastefully wide of the target.
Despite that near miss, the hosts didn’t have to wait long before adding to the scoreline, with two goals in the space of three minutes. First, a driven cross from Raoul Bellanova was diverted inadvertently into his own net by Tressoldi, before the unfortunate defender deflected another effort from Martinez beyond a helpless Andrea Consigli.
Faced with a three-goal deficit, Sassuolo immediately pulled a goal back through Matheus Henrique, keeping their slim hopes of a comeback alive going into the final 20 minutes.
Those hopes kept growing, and when Davide Frattesi directed a superb header into the bottom corner with 13 minutes remaining, the Neroverdi had successfully created an anxious atmosphere around the San Siro.
With the scoreline tantalisingly poised, the hosts looked to regain some semblance of composure in the closing stages, and Lukaku added his second of the evening late on to secure a hard-earned three points, moving Inter level on points with second-placed Juventus.
Meanwhile, Sassuolo, who fought valiantly in a superb second half, remain 13th, targeting a third top-half finish in four seasons.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Romelu Lukaku (Inter Milan)
