Milan, 23 December 2024 – Not a simple match, far from it. The As Of Fabregas he proved to be a tough, tough opponent, but of the highest quality dell’Inter it made a difference. Not a perfect match for the Nerazzurri, very awkward in the first half and imprecise in the second half, however the first goal came in the second half from a set piece, a corner from Calha and a Augustoand in the 90th minute the torpedo split Thuram to settle the accounts and cement three fundamental points. Important victory, in the defensive emergency and tiredness, which keeps Inter in the wake of Atalanta with a game to recover. The championship train has started and is partly skimming off, but the top three are still at full speed.
Bad first half
Inzaghi is in an emergency in defense and it's up to Carlos Augusto to adapt arm in arm, Dimarco and Dumfries return to the flank with Thu-La in front. Fabregas chooses Belotti as first striker with Strefezza, Paz and Fadera in support. High competitive rate at the start of the game with many duels and many second balls on which everyone rushes into the trap. However, Como started with personality and the first shot towards goal was by Van der Brempt with a header from a soft cross by Faderball to the side. The first Inter ring in the 9th minute Thuram it sows panic and forces the Como rearguard to make a save in front of Reina. The Nerazzurri's high pressing makes itself felt on Como's low build and steal Dimarco there is the strangled right hand of Mkhitaryan which scares but passes to the side. The match remains balanced, because Como, despite taking risks, does not want to throw the ball away and Inter does not always manage to recover it with aggression, thus triggering duels in midfield and few scoring opportunities. There is half a chance for Lautaro, after half a minute Stretcherbut the right-footed shot is countered from just inside sixteen metres, with the midfielder claiming the ball for a one-two. The As he is courageous, while Inter cannot find quality offensive schemes. The Larians have legs and worry the rearguard: Paz's right foot, Sommer saves. The best opportunity comes in the 33rd minute when Como loses Mkhitaryan on the flank, then the ball goes to Dumfries who wastes the right shot from a few steps away. Inzaghi's team struggles to find spaces and passing lines, Fabregas he studied well how not to give space to Calhanoglu and Dimarcoso often we go by bands but without the necessary quality. Reina, in fact, is not very busy and the path to the area is often closed. The Nerazzurri found good action at the end of the first half, the only time Calhanoglu was free between the lines, then an opening for Augusto who fed Dimarco: right hand that Reina controls. The first half, with few emotions, is all there.
Augusto and Thuram: Inter solves the enigma
Get off l’Inter at the beginning of the second half, better in pace and especially in exits towards the left where the crosses Dimarco they become insistent. After a couple of dangerous situations, the Nerazzurri passed in the 48th minute, this time from a set piece where the parable of Calhanoglu fish the zucchini of Augusto: Reina beaten and 1-0. It's a livelier and more intense Inter, which takes little to put Como in difficulty. The problem, if anything, was the under-rhythm first half. With the advantage, the Nerazzurri found more space on the restart and Stretcher he has an opportunity in the center of the area but Kempf saves the left-footed shot from the ground with a sure shot, and probably there had also been a foul earlier by Lautaro and in the event of a goal the cancellation would have been triggered. Inter instead took a risk in the 62nd minute with an offensive steal from Como Belotti puts tense in the middle but Augusto saves a goal already scored by anticipating Goldani. On the next corner it is Paz to have the chance: stop and left foot from inside the area, Sommer is reactive. Fabregas tries and chooses Cutrone and Kone midway through the second half to try to resume the match with the result still open. The hosts can't find the second, not even with Lautarowhose right-footed shot ends high with Barella free to claim the ball. The second eventually arrives, with the captain finding himself in the path of Dimarco's left-footed shot and deflecting it, causing it to displace Reinabut it's offline. Inzaghi changes only in the 70' zone and the chosen ones are De Vrij and Zielinski for Bisseck and Barella, while Fabregas goes with Barba and Mazzitelli. The Nerazzurri wasted a couple of counterattacks that could have led to a second, so Como remained in the game with courage and personality, despite exposing themselves in the open field. We get to the end, with Inter trying to lull possession while Como doesn't have the quality in the final meters to make the right play and equalize the score. The hosts are not perfect, they would have chances on the counterattack, but the Como team also don't have the right energy and there are assorted errors, also due to tiredness. The opportunity came in the 87th minute with a bad Nerazzurri turnover, when Fader draws the aerial turn of Cutrone which goes out just to the side. Fabregas goes all out with Cerri, the ram, for the last balls in the box. There is a lot of confusion in the 90th minute, but in the end the exclamation point is put by the usual Thuram, of power and precision to pierce Reina in seven: 2-0 and game closed. L’Inter rises to 37 points, in the wake of Atalanta and Napoli and with a game to recover. Despite the emergency and difficulty, Inzaghi's men proved they were there, winning a match like the big teams do. Even suffering.
