Inter came from two goals down to beat Napoli 3-2 in a breathless Serie A matchday 3 clash, with Lautaro Martínez providing the decisive moment at the death. Napoli had looked in control after a quick-fire double from Matteo Politano and Rasmus Hojlund put them 2-0 up early in the second half, but Cristian Chivu’s half-time double substitution changed the game entirely. Martínez pulled one back on 56 minutes, Marcus Thuram leveled at 82, and then the Argentine captain struck again in the 90th to send Inter through with all three points.
Key Moments
- 45′, Cristian Chivu makes a bold double change at half-time, withdrawing both Pio Esposito and Petar Sucic for Marcus Thuram and Curtis Jones with the score still 0-0.
- 50′, Napoli strike first through Matteo Politano, who converts without a recorded assist to put the visitors in front.
- 53′, Rasmus Hojlund doubles Napoli’s lead three minutes later, finishing from a Giovanni Di Lorenzo assist to make it 2-0.
- 56′, Inter respond almost immediately. Federico Dimarco picks out Lautaro Martínez, who pulls one back to make it 2-1 and set up a tense finish.
- 82′, Marcus Thuram draws Inter level at 2-2, converting a cross from Carlos Augusto after the substitute had been a constant threat down the left.
- 90′, Lautaro Martínez completes the turnaround in stoppage time, finishing from a Manuel Akanji delivery to win the match 3-2 and complete Inter’s comeback.
Tactical Breakdown
Inter dominated the ball throughout, finishing with 63 percent possession, 29 total shots to Napoli’s 16, and 10 corners to five. With 486 accurate passes from 544 attempted, Chivu’s side controlled the tempo even when the scoreline did not reflect it. The 3-5-2 gave Inter width through the wing-backs, and once Thuram and Carlos Augusto were introduced, there was significantly more directness and vertical threat in the attacking third.
The match turned on Chivu’s double substitution at half-time. Bringing Thuram on for the goalless Pio Esposito immediately added a physical, mobile target up front, while Augusto’s arrival at 62 minutes for Federico Dimarco gave Inter a fresh runner on the left flank. It was Augusto who provided the assist for Thuram’s equalizer at 82. Napoli’s own double change at 62 minutes, introducing Kevin De Bruyne and David Neres, came too late to alter the game’s momentum after Inter had already begun their push.
Napoli’s 4-3-3 held shape well in the first half but had no answer once Inter raised the press after the break. With only 37 percent possession and limited build-up through a midfield that struggled to assert itself, Antonio Zambo Anguissa and the yellow-carded Antonio Vergara were unable to protect the back four consistently. Rafa Marin was booked at 77 minutes as Napoli scrambled to contain the Inter pressure, and when Stanislav Lobotka went off at 79, the visitors lost their remaining composure in possession.
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Verdict
Inter are now six points from three matches and have won all of them in 2026-27, with this performance showing the squad depth Chivu can call on from the bench when matches need changing. Napoli, with three points from their opening two games, have now lost back-to-back after a winning start and will need to find more defensive resilience after shipping three goals in the second half of a game they appeared to be controlling at 2-0.
Inter
Napoli
Lautaro Martinez
Marcus Thuram