Lautaro Martínez strikes twice as Inter mount thrilling comeback against Napoli to keep perfect record

Lautaro Martínez had not scored in the new Serie A season, then chose the most dramatic possible moment to open his account. The Inter captain struck twice against Napoli, including a 91st-minute winner that completed a 3-2 comeback at San Siro.

Napoli appeared to have seized control early in the second half. Matteo Politano scored in the 50th minute, and Rasmus Højlund added another three minutes later to give Massimiliano Allegri’s side a 2-0 lead. Inter had struggled to respond, and the visiting team looked set to leave Milan with a major result.

The turnaround began almost immediately. Martínez pulled one back in the 56th minute, changing the mood inside the stadium. Inter coach Cristian Chivu then introduced Marcus Thuram, who had recovered and again joined Martínez in attack. The French forward equalized in the 82nd minute, turning the match into a high-intensity exchange as Napoli tried to hold on and Inter pushed for a winner.

That winner arrived after the match had seemed destined to end level. Martínez scored in stoppage time, completing his double and sending nearly 75,000 supporters into celebration. The goal transformed an afternoon that had threatened to go badly wrong into a memorable victory for the defending champions.

Inter’s third straight win restored the lead that Como had taken temporarily on Friday. The team has nine points from nine and now heads into another major test, an away match against Real Madrid in its Champions League opener. For Martínez, the performance answered the wait that followed his finish as last season’s Serie A top scorer. His first two goals this season came against the runners-up, in a comeback led by their captain.