Inter defeat Napoli in a frantic match sealed by Lautaro Martínez

Inter Milan and Napoli showed why they have been Serie A’s leading forces in recent years, producing a frantic 3-2 contest at San Siro. The match again had Lautaro Martínez at its center, with the Argentine emerging as Inter’s late hero.

It was the championship’s first major clash of the season, bringing together clubs that have shared the last four Scudetti, two apiece in alternating years. Italian media and supporters increasingly treat the fixture as the league’s defining modern rivalry, with Juventus and Milan falling away from the title race in recent seasons. This meeting lived up to the billing.

Inter started with the greater initiative and pushed Napoli back, but the hosts failed to turn their early control into goals. The Lautaro Martínez and Pio Esposito partnership showed promise, although it still needs time to develop. Napoli then raised its intensity and prevented Inter from controlling possession. Scott McTominay’s absence also forced coach Massimiliano Allegri to redistribute the midfield workload, giving Stanislav Lobotka and André Zambo Anguissa greater importance.

The first half brought chances at both ends, with both goalkeepers making important saves. Napoli returned from the break sharper and struck twice in three minutes. Matteo Politano opened the scoring in the 49th minute, and Rasmus Højlund doubled the lead three minutes later. Inter barely had time to react, but it did not lose heart. Lautaro pulled one back after another three minutes, then led the home side’s push for a comeback.

Inter laid siege to Napoli’s goal. Lautaro sent another clear chance over the bar, while Marcus Thuram, introduced at halftime for Esposito, attacked the spaces. Piotr Zieliński and Federico Dimarco directed the move forward as Napoli defended deep after taking the lead. Inter eventually found a deserved equalizer after surrounding the visitors’ goal.