Inter Milan Secures Coppa Italia Final Spot with Dramatic Comeback Against Como

POLICY WIRE — Milan, Italy — Inter Milan staged an extraordinary comeback, overcoming a two-goal deficit to defeat Como 3-2 and secure their place in the prestigious Coppa Italia Final. This thrilling semi-final clash saw significant contributions from Hakan Çalhanoğlu, who netted twice, and Petar Sučić, who scored the decisive goal.

With the first leg concluding in a goalless draw at the Stadio Sinigaglia, the entire fate of the tie rested on this single fixture at San Siro. Anticipation for extra time or even penalties loomed large before Inter’s late surge. The victors will now face either Atalanta or Lazio in the final on May 13.

Remarkably, this wasn’t the first time Inter had orchestrated such a turnaround against Como. A recent Serie A encounter on April 12 witnessed Inter also battling back from 2-0 down to claim a dramatic 4-3 victory against the same opponent.

Team News and Tactical Shifts

Inter approached the match without injured key players Lautaro Martinez and Alessandro Bastoni. Luis Henrique stepped into the starting XI in place of Denzel Dumfries. On the Como side, Jayden Addai was the sole unavailable player due to absence.

Following a difficult run of form, having secured only one point from their last three Serie A fixtures, Como coach Cesc Fabregas implemented a three-man defensive setup, hoping to stabilize his team’s performance.

First Half Drama and Como’s Early Lead

The visitors initiated the match with notable intensity, creating several early opportunities. Ange-Yoan Bonny sent a shot wide after a skillful nutmeg pass from Piotr Zielinski. Soon after, Josep Martinez produced a superb one-handed save to deny Martin Baturina at the back post. From the subsequent corner, Marc-Oliver Kempf’s header struck the woodwork, signaling Como’s intent.

Refereeing decisions were also a point of contention, with Francesco Acerbi twice engaging in physical confrontations with Tasos Douvikas, yet free-kicks were controversially awarded against the Como forward on both occasions.

Como eventually broke the deadlock, scoring the tie’s opening goal. Ignace van der Brempt delivered a precise pull-back from the right flank, allowing Martin Baturina to sweep the ball into the net from eight yards, finding the far post with a clinical finish.

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Como Extends Lead, Inter Fights Back

Como continued to threaten, with Douvikas heading wide from a corner. Inter’s closest chance came from Marcus Thuram, whose header was dramatically cleared off the line by Maxi Perrone on another set piece. Lucas Da Cunha also tested Martinez with a long-range effort, signaling the danger Como posed.

The second half began with Como extending their lead just minutes after the restart. Nico Paz intercepted a misplaced pass from Piotr Zielinski, initiating a swift counter-attack that saw Lucas Da Cunha advance down the right. Da Cunha then curled a precise left-footed shot into the far bottom corner, doubling Como’s advantage and stunning the home crowd.

Both teams had opportunities to score further, with Baturina and then Nicolò Barella failing to capitalize on promising counter-attacks. Jean Butez also made a crucial save to parry a powerful long-range strike from Hakan Çalhanoğlu, temporarily denying Inter a lifeline.

Inter finally clawed a goal back, reigniting their hopes. Petar Sučić laid the ball off to the edge of the penalty area for Çalhanoğlu. His powerful shot took a slight deflection, finding its way into the near bottom corner. Moments later, Assane Diao, just substituted on for Como, was denied by Josep Martinez in a one-on-one situation after an error by Acerbi.

Çalhanoğlu then completed Inter’s stunning recovery, leveling the score at 2-2. Following another powerful shot that was blocked, the Turkish midfielder rose unchallenged to head home a cross from Sučić from about ten yards out. This brought the aggregate score to 2-2, indicating extra time was imminent, but Inter had other plans.

Inter Completes the Turnaround

Just as in their previous Serie A encounter, Inter moved from being two goals down to taking the lead. A swift throw-in initiated a quick give-and-go between Sučić and Çalhanoğlu. Sučić then curled a right-footed shot into the far bottom corner, putting Inter ahead 3-2 in the closing minutes of regular time.

The drama continued until the final whistle. Manuel Akanji prevented a free header from Alvaro Morata by nodding the cross into his goalkeeper’s arms. Martinez also made a difficult save from Maxence Caqueret at the near post, before Kempf’s subsequent header went over the bar from a corner, allowing Inter to hold on for the win.

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Match Summary

• Inter 3-2 Como (Aggregate 3-2)
• Goals:
  • Martin Baturina (Como) 32′
  • Lucas Da Cunha (Como) 48′
  • Hakan Çalhanoğlu (Inter) 69′
  • Hakan Çalhanoğlu (Inter) 86′
  • Petar Sučić (Inter) 89′