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Christian Vieri grabbed a poker of goals to answer his critics and relaunch Inter's Scudetto challenge.
Inter had earned just one point from their last three Serie A games, but were hoping to replicate their aggressive Champions' League performances on the domestic scene. Roberto Baggio made his return to the San Siro and the club that never really gave him the benefit of the doubt.
It took just three minutes for Christian Vieri to break the deadlock with a classic counter-attack. The Italian international gathered a fine Hernan Crespo through pass and drilled his angled drive past the helpless goalkeeper.
It didn't take long for Vieri to notch up a second when he rose to nod in a corner kick, although goalkeeper Matteo Sereni perhaps could have done more on this header.
Domenico Morfeo and Francesco Coco limped off with minor injuries, but Inter kept coming forward with a Crespo volley and header well saved.
Brescia rarely threatened and when a Baggio corner kick did reach Markus Schopp the Austrian wasted this opportunity. Schopp blasted another fine chance over the bar in first half stoppage time, though Fabio Cannavaro's last ditch tackle did enough to put him off.
Vieri completed his hat-trick with a well-taken goal. He sprung the offside trap on Gigi Di Biagio's intelligent long pass and a curious backwards header left Sereni stranded.
Vieri turned goal provider soon after when he set up Crespo, but the Argentine's shot was deflected wide.
In the final minutes the Italian international grabbed a fourth by chesting down and driving the ball into the ground so it could bounce over the goalkeeper. Brescia claimed he was offside as Crespo's deflected pass came in, but the goal was granted.
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