Inter Milan pulled off a dramatic comeback from two goals down to beat Napoli 3-2 at San Siro on Friday night, preserving their perfect Serie A record and moving joint top of the table alongside Roma.
Napoli looked set for a morale-boosting victory after Matteo Politano opened the scoring in the 50th minute and Rasmus Højlund doubled the advantage three minutes later with a spectacular strike. But the defending champions responded with fury, scoring three unanswered goals to leave the visitors stunned.
Lautaro Martinez pulled one back in the 56th minute before Marcus Thuram levelled the contest with an 82nd-minute equaliser. The captain then completed the turnaround with a stoppage-time winner, capping a remarkable turnaround that silenced Napoli's hopes of bouncing back from their opening-weekend defeat to Como.
The result leaves Inter level on nine points with Roma, who had earlier come from behind to beat Atalanta 2-1 at the Stadio Olimpico. Napoli, meanwhile, sit on three points after two consecutive defeats, raising early questions about their title credentials under new management.
"We played a great match," said Napoli midfielder Frank Anguissa, who was at fault for a late error that could have yielded an equaliser. "But two goals were not enough. After going 2-0 up, we stopped playing and let them come at us in numbers. That's a mentality issue."
Napoli's position was particularly damaging given their dominance in the first half of the second period. After Politano and Højlund had struck, the visitors appeared to be in total control. But a series of tactical changes — including the introduction of Benoît Badiashile — disrupted their shape and handed momentum back to the home side.
Højlund's goal was the highlight of the evening, a stunning effort that underlined the Dane's quality since arriving in Naples. Goalkeeper Alex Meret also delivered an outstanding performance, making several key saves to keep Napoli in the contest before the final collapse.
For Inter, it was a result that demonstrated the resilience that has become a hallmark of the team under their current coaching setup. Having struggled for large periods of the match, they found the clinical edge when it mattered most, with Martinez proving the decisive figure.
The win also overshadowed a incident in which Lautaro appeared to strike Napoli defender Rafa Marín off the ball, a flashpoint that went unpunished by the match officials. The controversy added further intrigue to what was already an enthralling contest between two of Serie A's strongest sides.
Inter now turn their attention to the Champions League group stage, while Napoli will look to regroup ahead of their next league fixture, with the pressure already building on the Partenopei after a disappointing start to the campaign.
Sources
- https://www.oasport.it/2026/09/inter-napoli-3-2-la-doppietta-di-lautaro-vale-il-ribaltone-la-roma-aggancia-i-neroazzurri-in-vetta-alla-serie-a/
- https://napoli.corriere.it/notizie/sport/26_settembre_06/napoli-dalle-stelle-alle-stalle-grande-beffa-a-san-siro-14b93f87-0888-42fd-adc6-f94beac40xlk.shtml
