Inter beat Como 4-0 at San Siro, temporarily taking the top spot.

Inter Milan defeated Como 4-0 at Giuseppe Meazza in the highlight match of Serie A's 14th round, temporarily moving to the top of the table. Lautaro Martinez opened the scoring and reached 150 goalscoring contributions for Inter in Serie A, while Como's unbeaten run since August under Cesc Fabregas was brought to an end. It was a night where the class, discipline, and ruthlessness of the home team completely overwhelmed their opponents.

Key moment: Lautaro's opening goal and milestone.

Inter started the match at a high tempo with a clear intention to attack from the outset. In the very first minute, Lautaro Martinez's shot narrowly missed the crossbar, signaling a busy day ahead for the visitors' defense. In the 11th minute, new signing Luis Henrique sprinted down the right wing and delivered a perfect cross; Martinez rushed in and fired a low shot into the left corner, opening the scoring. This goal also marked the Argentine striker's 150th involvement in a Serie A goal (scoring + assisting) for Inter.

Como was hampered by the loss of their main striker, and Inter locked down the midfield.

Cesc Fabregas's plans were quickly disrupted when Alvaro Morata suffered a groin injury and left the field in the 32nd minute. Without an experienced player up front, Como held possession for a considerable amount of time in midfield but was unable to break through Inter's tight defense. The visitors' xG (xieties) in the first 45 minutes were 0.03, accurately reflecting the limited quality of their chances. When needed, Yann Sommer was still in the right place to maintain the lead.

The decisive blow: dead ball and finishing speed.

The second half saw Como's attempts to fight back, but Inter responded with pure efficiency. In the 59th minute, Federico Dimarco delivered a perfectly placed corner, and Marcus Thuram slotted the ball home from close range to make it 2-0. Pushing forward, Como left gaps in their defense and conceded two goals in quick succession: Hakan Calhanoglu scored in the 80th minute, before Carlos Augusto sealed the 4-0 victory in the 86th minute. Inter maintained their formation and concentration until the final minutes, giving their opponents no chance to recover.

Tactical perspective: tempo, right flank, and discipline.

Inter imposed their tempo from the start, attacking directly down the right flank in their opening goal – a decision that gave them an early advantage and shaped the game. After taking the lead, the home team slowed down, prioritizing a low-to-medium defensive block, sealing off the inner flanks and blocking passes to Como's target striker. The difference also came from set pieces: Dimarco's corner kick was a prime example of organization and quality placement. On Como's side, Morata's injury not only reduced their options for set pieces in the penalty area but also left them without enough players to finish their attacks through the middle.

Selective statistics

• Score: Inter Milan 4-0 Como
• Scorer: Lautaro Martinez 11'; Marcus Thuram 59'; Hakan Calhanoglu 80'; Carlos Augusto 86'
• Como xG first half: 0.03
• Lautaro Martinez: Reaches 150 goal contributions in Serie A for Inter.
• Como's unbeaten streak since August has ended.

Impact on the race

The three points helped Inter temporarily move to the top of the Serie A table, with the leading group separated by only one point before the next round. This victory also put pressure on Napoli and AC Milan in the Scudetto race. For Como, the defeat ended his winning streak but also highlighted a gap in his attacking options due to the absence of a key striker and the need to improve his finishing quality in big matches.