Pio Esposito and Marcus Thuram scored inside the first 19 minutes as Inter beat Cesc Fàbregas's Como 2-0 at San Siro on Sunday. The win took Cristian Chivu's side to 28 points from 11 matches, one behind Serie A leaders Lazio, according to Inter's official match report and ANSA.
It is Inter's response to last weekend's derby defeat and sends them into the international break on the back of a controlled display. Como created little until Nico Paz struck the crossbar late on.
Match facts
- Result: Inter 2-0 Como (half-time 2-0)
- Competition: Serie A Enilive, Matchday 11
- Venue: San Siro (Stadio Giuseppe Meazza), Milan
- Scorers: Inter - Esposito 12', Thuram 19'
- Assist: Spence (12')
- Red cards: None
- Referee: Daniele Chiffi
- Next: Atalanta v Inter, Sunday 22 November
How the match unfolded
Inter started on the front foot, playing a high line and keeping the ball. Como's first attempt came in the sixth minute, when Nico Paz shot over the bar at the end of a counter-attack.
The opening goal arrived in the 12th minute. Thuram picked out Djed Spence's overlapping run on the right, and Esposito turned in the full-back's low cross.
Inter almost added another when Nicolò Barella's dangerous delivery fell for Federico Dimarco, whose first-time left-foot shot was blocked by Kempf. The second goal came in the 19th minute. Piotr Zieliński swung a cross into the area, Como failed to clear, and Thuram fired home with his right foot.
Chivu's side stayed on top. In the 29th minute Carlos Augusto headed Hakan Çalhanoğlu's free kick towards goal, but Sanchez gathered it comfortably. Just before half-time the Como goalkeeper turned another Carlos Augusto effort behind for a corner. Inter led 2-0 at the break after one added minute.
Fàbregas sent on Ricci and Smolcic at the interval. Early in the second half Dimarco forced a save from Sanchez after a pass from Barella, then saw another attempt deflected wide. Thuram almost scored a third in the 57th minute, collecting a loose ball and shooting across goal, the ball drifting just past the far post.
Como's first real opening came around the hour. Paz tried a swerving cross-shot from deep and Josep Martínez dived to his right to push it away.
Esposito was booked in the 72nd minute after pulling Paz back and was replaced by Bonny, with Mkhitaryan coming on for Zieliński. Fàbregas responded with a triple change. Jacobo Ramón headed over from a Paz cross, and Thuram was denied again when Kempf blocked his shot in the box.
The visitors' clearest chance arrived in the 84th minute. Paz met a ball into the middle first time with his left foot and the shot clipped the crossbar, with Martínez beaten. Inter saw out three minutes of stoppage time to close out a 2-0 win.
What the result means
Inter moved onto 28 points after 11 matches, one behind Lazio, who had drawn 1-1 at Napoli earlier on Sunday. Matchday 11 was still being completed at the time of writing.
The result answers last weekend's 3-1 derby defeat by AC Milan and keeps Chivu's side firmly in the title picture going into the international break.
What happens next?
Serie A now pauses. Inter return on Sunday 22 November with a trip to Bergamo to face Atalanta. More from the round is in our Serie A section.
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