Icardi hits perfect nine-minute hat-trick for rampant Inter

Inter captain Mauro Icardi stunned Atalanta with a perfect nine-minute hat-trick in Serie A on Sunday.

The prolific striker opened the scoring at San Siro with a left-footed effort from close range in the 17th minute after Ivan Perisic's free-kick squirmed through a disorganised Atalanta wall.

It meant Icardi had three goals in as many matches having netted in each of the past two weekends versus Roma and Cagliari and his day would get much better.

Atalanta goalkeeper Etrit Berisha brought down the Argentinian striker, who chipped a 23rd-minute penalty high into the net right-footed and, with the clock on 25 minutes and 47 seconds, Icardi headed home his 20th Serie A goal of the season from Ever Banega's corner.

Banega then got in on the act with a brace of his own to make it 5-0 inside 34 minutes, although Remo Freuler pulled one back for the beleaguered visitors before half-time.