Lautaro Martinez Becomes the Hero as Inter Milan Pulls Off a Dramatic 3-2 Comeback Victory Over Napoli

Milan – Inter Milan displayed champion mentality by pulling off a dramatic comeback against Napoli on the third matchweek of the 2026/27 Serie A. Having gone two goals down after half-time, the Nerazzurri turned the game on its head to claim a 3-2 victory courtesy of a brace from Lautaro Martínez, including the decisive winner deep into injury time.

Played at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza on Saturday (5/9/2026), this fixture was fiercely contested right from kickoff. Both sides created clear goalscoring opportunities throughout the first half, but neither managed to break the deadlock before the break.

Inter came agonisingly close to opening the scoring through Federico Dimarco. The winger's well-struck free kick crashed against the crossbar right before half time. Lautaro also carved out a good chance for himself, only to be denied by a sharp save from Alex Meret.

Napoli Explode Out The Blocks In Second Half

It was Napoli instead who emerged for the second half with devastating clinical efficiency.

In the 50th minute, Matteo Politano fired Napoli into a 1-0 lead. The goal originated from an Inter build-up error; Barella gave away possession cheaply, allowing Alisson Santos to burst forward for Napoli. Josep Martínez pulled off an initial stop, but the rebound fell perfectly for Politano who converted the follow-up first time.

Just three minutes later, Napoli doubled their advantage.

Rasmus Hojlund received the ball after Giovanni Di Lorenzo held up possession, before unleashing a driven left-footed strike from outside the box that arrowed into the far corner. Inter found themselves 0-2 down barely five minutes into the second half.

This deficit put Inter under severe pressure. Cristian Chivu reacted immediately with a double substitution, bringing on Marcus Thuram and Curtis Jones in place of Francesco Pio Esposito and Petar Sucic. This tactical change would completely shift the momentum of the match.

Lautaro Ignites Inter's Fightback

Only minutes after Napoli's second goal, Inter pulled one back to reduce the gap.

In the 56th minute, Lautaro Martínez latched onto Federico Dimarco's cutback to score from close range. This goal immediately restored Inter's belief, and the fixture opened up into an end-to-end contest.

Inter continued to ramp up the pressure. Thuram struck the post shortly before finally netting the equaliser.

In the 82nd minute, Marcus Thuram met Carlos Augusto's left-wing cross with a powerful looping header that beat Meret, bringing the score level at 2-2.

Lautaro Scores 91st Minute Winner

Just as the match appeared destined for a draw, Lautaro stepped up once again to be the difference maker.

Inter won a corner during stoppage time. After the ball fell into a chaotic scramble inside the Napoli penalty area, Manuel Akanji flicked the loose ball towards Lautaro, who smashed home from close range to put Inter 3-2 ahead.

This 91st minute strike capped off a remarkable comeback for Inter. Napoli had held a comfortable two goal lead, only for Inter to score three unanswered goals to take all three points.

All five goals in the entire match came during the second half: Politano, Højlund, Lautaro, Thuram, then Lautaro once again to seal the win.

Inter Maintain Perfect Season Start

This victory keeps Inter Milan's 100% winning record intact after the first three matches of the 2026/27 Serie A. The Nerazzurri have collected 9 points from three fixtures, with 8 goals scored and 3 conceded so far.

Despite this perfect start, Inter do not sit top of the league table. AS Roma also hold 9 points, but hold a superior goal difference: +9 compared to Inter's +5. Roma claimed first place after beating Atalanta 2-1 with a 93rd minute winner from Matías Soulé.

Meanwhile, this defeat leaves Napoli with only 3 points from three matches, occupying 10th position in the updated league standings after this round of fixtures.

This result was far more than just three points for Inter. Coming back from 0-2 down proved that the Nerazzurri are capable of maintaining intensity and fighting spirit right until the final seconds of matches.

And once again, it was Lautaro Martínez who delivered when it mattered most. His two goals secured Inter's win in what stands as one of the most dramatic fixtures of the Serie A third matchweek.