Lautaro’s 90th-minute goal completes Inter’s 3-2 comeback

Inter defeated Napoli 3-2 in Serie A on Saturday, September 5, completing a dramatic second-half turnaround in Milan. Napoli moved into a 2-0 lead shortly after half-time, but Inter responded with three goals, including Lautaro Martínez’s winner in the 90th minute.

Napoli take control after the break

The first half ended goalless, with Antonio Vergara receiving Napoli’s only booking of the opening period in the 35th minute. The match changed rapidly after the interval. Matteo Politano put Napoli ahead in the 50th minute, and Rasmus Hojlund doubled the advantage three minutes later after being set up by Giovanni Di Lorenzo.

Inter immediately began their recovery. Lautaro Martínez pulled one back in the 56th minute, finishing from Federico Dimarco’s assist. Inter then made further changes, with Carlos Augusto replacing Dimarco in the 62nd minute and Hakan Çalhanoğlu coming on for Piotr Zieliński in the 72nd. Marcus Thuram, introduced at half-time for Pio Esposito, leveled the contest in the 82nd minute after receiving a pass from Carlos Augusto.

The decisive moment arrived in the final minute of regulation time. Martínez scored again, this time assisted by Manuel Akanji, completing Inter’s comeback and securing the three points. He was booked in the 68th minute, while Rafael Marin Zamora received Napoli’s other yellow card in the 77th. Neither side was shown a red card.

Inter control the numbers

Inter’s victory reflected their overall control of the match. They had 63% possession and completed 484 accurate passes from 541 total, compared with Napoli’s 264 accurate passes from 341. Inter also attempted 29 shots to Napoli’s 16, including 20 shots inside the box to Napoli’s 13, and led corners 10-5.

However, Napoli’s two-goal burst briefly put them ahead despite Inter’s statistical superiority. The teams were closer in shots on goal, with Inter recording eight and Napoli seven, while Josep Martínez made six saves for Inter and Napoli’s goalkeeper made five. Both teams committed seven fouls, and Inter finished with one yellow card against Napoli’s two.

Martínez leads Inter comeback

Lautaro Martínez was the standout performer, earning a match rating of 9.2 after playing all 90 minutes. His two goals, three shots on target, two key passes and two tackles underlined his influence on the result. Politano also impressed for Napoli with a 7.8 rating and a goal in 62 minutes.

The result leaves Inter third in Serie A with six points from two games, while Napoli remain 10th with three points from two. Inter’s pre-match sequence of two wins now extends with another victory; Napoli, who had entered after a win and a loss, add a defeat to their record.