Inter Milan did exactly what coach Jose Mourinho had demanded with victory over bottom side Chievo at the San Siro.
Mourinho had stressed the importance of today's game against the Flying Donkeys with Inter's main title rivals, Juventus and AC Milan, facing each other later in the day.
And the former Chelsea and Porto boss got what he wished for with a 4-2 win which keeps them comfortably top of Serie A.
The home side were in front after just three minutes through Brazilian Maxwell.
He controlled Dejan Stankovic's pass and beat defender Nicolas Frey before shooting high into the net.
Stankovic was appealing for a penalty shortly afterwards, feeling Santiago Morero was guilty of handball, but the referee was unimpressed.
It took another 18 minutes for Inter to fashion a chance as the game surprisingly slowed following a lively opening, and Stankovic was again in the thick of the action.
Douglas Maicon crossed from the right and Stankovic's header was parried by goalkeeper Stefano Sorretino, allowing Frey to clear the danger.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic had been kept largely quiet by the visiting defense but finally found himself in space after 32 minutes, only to fire over from long range.
Chievo's goal attempts were even rarer and it was not until the stroke of half-time they mustered the semblance of a chance, Michele Marcolini shooting over from distance.
Mourinho no doubt had plenty to say at the interval and it took his side only two minutes of the second half to double their lead.
Stankovic exchanged passes with Ibrahimovic before shooting low into the corner, and Inter's fans must have thought that was effectively game over.
However, the visitors pulled one back just four minutes later, Sergio Pellissier beating goalkeeper Julio Cesar with a shot outside the area.
And after 65 minutes a shock result was on the cards as Chievo, with just two wins to their credit this season, equalised through Simone Bentivoglio's tap-in from Andrea Mantovani's cross.
But just when Chievo were dreaming of a valuable point gained, Inter regained the lead 11 minutes from time as Ibrahimovic rose above the visiting defense to head home Maicon's right-wing cross.
Any lingering hopes Chievo had were finally extinguished when they were reduced to 10 men with Argentinian defender Santiago Morero sent off for his second bookable offence.
Inter duly made their numerical advantage count with a fourth goal two minutes from time, Ibrahimovic smashing a fierce drive into the roof of the Chievo net from a pass from the superb Stankovic.
Chievo are in danger of being cut adrift at the foot of the table with just two wins and nine goals in 16 Serie A matches this season.
They have not been helped by a difficult run of fixtures, with defeats to AC Milan, Juventus and Roma in their previous five matches, but coach Domenico Di Carlo - who replaced Giuseppe Iachini at the helm last month - is facing a massive task.
