Inter Milan delivered a masterclass in resilience at the San Siro, overturning a two-goal deficit to defeat Napoli 3-2 in a thrilling Serie A encounter on matchday three. The Nerazzurri's stunning turnaround moved them to the summit of the table with a perfect record, while Napoli's collapse leaves them searching for answers ahead of their midweek fixtures.
First Half Tension
The opening exchanges saw both sides create early openings without breaking the deadlock. Inter's goalkeeper Martinez showed his quality with a double save in the seventh minute, denying Politano after a dangerous Anguissa cross. The first half remained tightly contested, with neither team able to find the breakthrough despite several chances. Hojlund squandered a clear opportunity moments before the interval, leaving the score locked at 0-0 heading into halftime.
Napoli's Advantage Slips Away
Napoli began the second half with devastating effect. A costly error from Barella in the 50th minute—a loose back pass that gifted Santos possession—allowed the visiting forward to breach Inter's defence, with Politano converting to put Napoli ahead. The visitors doubled their advantage just three minutes later when Hojlund lashed a powerful strike from outside the box into the net, seemingly putting the match beyond reach at 2-0.
Yet Inter refused to surrender. Dimarco sparked the comeback with a precision cross in the 56th minute that Martinez finished clinically. The left-back continued to torment Napoli's defence, sending a further dangerous delivery that nearly found Lautaro in the 60th minute. Thuram's header struck the crossbar in the 74th minute as Inter mounted relentless pressure, and their persistence paid dividends when the Austrian striker powered home a header from a superb cross to equalize in the 82nd minute.
The decisive moment arrived deep into stoppage time. Martinez reacted quickest to a loose ball inside Napoli's penalty area that the away defence failed to clear, firing home the winner and sending the San Siro into raptures. This remarkable turnaround—Inter's fourth consecutive Serie A victory—extends their unbeaten run and demonstrates the mental fortitude that separates title contenders from the rest.
With Inter now clear at the top on 9 points and Napoli slipping to tenth place on 3 points, the narrative shifts dramatically. Inter Milan will look to carry this momentum into their Champions League opener against Real Madrid on Tuesday, a fixture that will test whether their domestic form can translate to European competition.
