Inter needed just seven minutes to settle this one. Esposito opened the scoring at the Meazza in the 12th minute before Thuram doubled the lead seven minutes later, and Cristian Chivu’s side coasted through the rest of the afternoon to record a comfortable 2-0 win over Como. The result, according to Arab News, closes the gap to Serie A leaders Lazio to a single point, with Inter sitting second on 28.
Key Moments
- 12′, Esposito gives Inter the lead, finishing from a Spence delivery to put the hosts in front at San Siro.
- 19′, Thuram doubles Inter’s advantage with a goal of his own, leaving Como with an insurmountable mountain to climb before the half-hour mark.
- 45′, Como manager Cesc Fabregas makes a double substitution at the break, withdrawing Perrone and Baturina and introducing Ricci and Smolcic in a bid to reshape his side.
- 73′, Esposito, who had picked up a yellow card in the 72nd minute, is replaced by Bonny as Inter manage the final stretch.
Tactical Breakdown
Despite finishing the game with only 43% possession, Inter were the more dangerous side by a wide margin. Their xG of 1.9 against Como’s 0.21 tells the story: Chivu’s 3-5-2 was built to hurt on the counter, and it did exactly that in the opening quarter-hour. With 14 total shots to Como’s five, and 10 of those coming from inside the box, Inter exploited the spaces left by Como’s high defensive line with clinical efficiency. Spence was particularly effective in the right wingback role, providing the assist for the opener and generating pressure throughout the first half.
Como arrived at San Siro in a 4-2-3-1 and held the ball well, completing 595 of 651 passes, but that possession was largely sideways and unthreatening. Fabregas conceded in his post-match comments, quoted by Yahoo Sports, that Inter were ‘the strongest team in Europe in transition,’ and the stats bore that out. The double substitution at halftime, bringing on Ricci and Smolcic for the ineffective Perrone and Baturina, changed the shape but not the scoreline. Three further changes at the 74th minute, including Liberali and Caqueret, failed to generate any meaningful threat on Josep Martinez’s goal.
For Como, Paz and L. da Cunha were below their best in the positions where they needed to create. Without any real service to Douvikas in the false nine role, the visitors managed just one shot on target all game. They controlled the ball but never the match, a distinction that proved fatal against a side as organized defensively as Inter.
Player Ratings
Match Context
Standings
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Verdict
Inter are now a single point behind Lazio at the top of Serie A, according to Arab News, having won nine of their 11 league games this season. For Como, ranked fifth on 23 points, the defeat is a reminder of the gap that still exists between them and the established top two. Fabregas has built something real in Lombardy, but afternoons like this show the ceiling is not yet as high as the table position might suggest.
Como
Inter