Inter Fiorentina 2026: Late Double Rescues Leaders

Inter coach Cristian Chivu could not bear to look. As Piotr Zieliński stood over a stoppage-time penalty against Fiorentina, Chivu turned his back to the pitch and bent down on the touchline. When he turned round, San Siro was erupting and Inter had completed a 2-1 win from a goal down.

Both Inter goals came after the 90-minute mark. Marcus Thuram levelled first, then Zieliński drove home the winner. One report counted it as only the third time in Serie A history that Inter have overturned a deficit by scoring twice from the 90th minute onward, after comebacks against Sampdoria in 2005 and Cesena in 2011.

The reward was the summit. Inter are back on top of Serie A on 22 points, level with Lazio. Fiorentina leave Milan 18th and still stuck in the relegation places.

De Gea frustrates Inter before Jiménez strikes

For an hour, David De Gea kept Fiorentina afloat almost on his own. Inter held 63% of the ball and would finish with 33 shots, 11 of them on target, yet the half-time score read 0-0. National reports later called the goalkeeper's display a masterclass, and the numbers back that verdict.

Then, on 65 minutes, the visitors produced a moment that ignored every possession chart. Nicolò Fagioli intercepted a clearance and teed up Álex Jiménez, whose angled right-footed shot from roughly 30 yards flew into the top corner. It was his second league goal of the season in seven appearances.

Jiménez had reportedly been jeered and insulted by the home crowd because of his AC Milan background. His pointed celebration towards the Inter supporters made tempers boil in the stands and on the pitch. Fiorentina finished with seven shots and only two on target, yet one of them had the leaders on the brink.

Mariani waves away Thuram's first penalty appeal

Three minutes later came the decision that hung over the rest of the afternoon. Substitute defender Viery brought down Thuram inside the box, the Inter forward appealed furiously, and referee Maurizio Mariani waved play on. VAR did not step in.

Refereeing pundits later judged it a clear foul that VAR should have corrected, and Mariani drew heavy scrutiny for the call. Inter kept pushing, forcing six corners to Fiorentina's one, while the visitors collected three yellow cards. The pressure was constant. The clock, though, was running down.

Thuram and Zieliński complete the stoppage-time turnaround

Thuram finally broke through in stoppage time. He exchanged a quick one-two with Andy Diouf on the edge of the area and steered a low left-footed shot through a crowded box into the bottom-right corner.

He celebrated by copying the trademark celebration of injured captain Lautaro Martínez and dedicated the goal to him. With Lautaro absent, Thuram has carried the scoring load: five league goals in seven appearances this season, with goals in five of Inter's last six league games. Reports across Italy praised him for carrying the team on his back.

He had one more decisive moment left. As Thuram waited for a Manuel Akanji cross, Víctor Valdepeñas held his shirt for so long that he ended up wrestling him to the ground. This time Mariani pointed to the spot and booked Valdepeñas, and the review fully affirmed the decision.

Zieliński drove a powerful right-footed penalty into the roof of the net for his second league goal of the season. Inter's entire bench ran onto the pitch. After the final whistle, a near-brawl flared up between Nicolò Barella and members of Fiorentina's coaching staff.

Petar Sučić summed up the dressing room's mood: “Vincere negli ultimi minuti è una delle cose migliori che ti possa accadere nel calcio, è bellissimo vedere come abbiamo esultato tutti assieme nel finale.” Winning that late, in his words, is one of the best things football can give you.

Inter reclaim the summit as Fiorentina's crisis deepens

This was Inter's third straight league win, and they have now scored in each of their last eight league games. The more telling figure is that this result took the points they have recovered from losing positions to 13 from their opening eight league matches. Earlier this season, they twice turned 2-0 home deficits into wins inside a fortnight.

The Italian press returned to the familiar idea of “Pazza Inter”. Chivu's side still suffer defensive lapses that leave them chasing games. However, generating more than 30 shots and staying calm under pressure makes them look almost unstoppable late on. Being level with Lazio means that habit of falling behind may not be sustainable for long.

There were personal stories too. Ivan Provedel, who joined from Lazio in the summer, made his competitive Inter debut after Chivu handed him the start following the birth of his child. Academy forward Matteo Lavelli reportedly made his senior Serie A debut just 24 hours after playing in Serie C for Inter's Under-23 side.

For Fiorentina, the pain is sharper. The press credited Paolo Vanoli's side for their organisation and spirit, but they failed to kill off a game they led until stoppage time. A third consecutive league defeat leaves them on four points, deep in crisis and fighting to escape the bottom three.