Inter reinforced their position at the top of the Serie A title race by securing a 2-0 win against Como, continuing their impressive streak versus Cesc Fabregas’ team. Francesco Pio Esposito and Marcus Thuram found the net to bring Como back to reality following their sensational 9-1 Champions League triumph over RC Lens.
The Nerazzurri were eager to bounce back after losing their first Serie A match of the campaign to Milan in the Derby della Madonnina. They had regained momentum with a 3-0 victory against Feyenoord during the week, while Como arrived at San Siro having won six straight matches across all competitions.
Lautaro Martinez and Luis Henrique were still sidelined for Inter, though John Stones and Curtis Jones came back to the bench after being out for several weeks. Como made the trip without Moise Kean, Trevoh Chalobah, Assane Diao, Jesus Rodriguez, and Jayden Addai.
Inter gains control versus Como through Esposito’s opening goal
Inter claimed the lead after Federico Dimarco won the ball from Lucas Da Cunha and sparked a quick break. Marcus Thuram then delivered a cunningly disguised pass to release Djed Spence on the right, and he squared the ball across the penalty area for Francesco Pio Esposito to convert from close distance.
The home side almost added a second shortly after. Nicolò Barella whipped in a cross that Thuram met with a glancing header, but the contact confused Dimarco, who couldn’t connect properly with his attempted shot.
Inter ultimately grabbed their second goal via another move involving Dimarco. The wing-back played Piotr Zielinski through on the left, and his low cross was poorly dealt with by Alex Valle. The defender’s miscued clearance turned into an unintentional assist for Thuram, who scored from six yards at the near post.
Como found it difficult to generate clear chances for most of the game. Robert Sanchez had to dive to tip Carlos Augusto’s low strike around the post, while Dimarco also challenged the goalkeeper after the interval following another pass from Barella.
Marcus Thuram confirms Inter’s win as Como strikes the woodwork
Inter kept pushing after the break. Dimarco had a volley diverted wide after Thuram recycled the ball from a Barella cross, while Thuram himself went close with an angled attempt that just missed the far post after linking up with Spence.
Como finally tested Josep Martinez in the 63rd minute. The Inter goalkeeper responded well to Nico Paz’s shot, which bounced awkwardly in front of him, before Jacobo Ramon couldn’t muster enough power on a header from a Bruno Kaiki cross.
Paz came nearest to pulling Como back into the match in the 84th minute. He connected with Marc-Oliver Kempf’s cut-back with a first-time strike from roughly 15 yards, but the attempt hit the goal frame.
The result stretched Inter’s remarkable record against Como to 12 straight Serie A wins. Fabregas has still not managed to get past Chivu’s team, making the Nerazzurri the biggest opponent his side has been unable to beat.