Inter defeated Fiorentina 2-1 at San Siro on Sunday, scoring twice in stoppage time to turn a losing position into a win, according to Sky Sport. Marcus Thuram equalised in the 91st minute and Piotr Zielinski converted a penalty in the 98th. The result lifted Inter back to the top of the table, Sky Sport reports.
It was Inter's third victory in eight days under coach Chivu, and their fifth comeback of the season, according to Il Fatto Quotidiano.
Why it matters
For most of the afternoon Inter were the more threatening side but could not score. They went in at half-time level despite several chances, fell behind to a long-range strike from former Milan player Jimenez, and hit the woodwork twice through Carlos Augusto before the late reversal.
The three points return Inter to first place, level with Lazio at the summit, according to Il Fatto Quotidiano. A draw or defeat would have left the comeback story of their season unfinished.
De Gea holds Inter back in the first half
The opening 45 minutes ended 0-0, but not for lack of attempts from the home side. Nicolo Barella had the first effort around the quarter-hour, a right-footed shot from distance that David de Gea dealt with comfortably, Sky Sport reports.
Fiorentina sat deep without the ball and conceded little beyond a Carlos Augusto header that missed the target and an imprecise left-footed attempt from Diouf. The visitors' goalkeeper was the busier of the two after the half-hour mark. De Gea made a strong save from a Pio Esposito header, then denied Thuram twice, both times from the French forward's right-footed shots across goal. Barella sent another effort off target before the interval.
There was one penalty appeal before the break. Pongracic handled the ball in the area during a challenge with Pio Esposito, but referee Mariani allowed play to continue, with Sky Sport noting the two players were very close together.
Jimenez breaks the deadlock, then the woodwork intervenes
Thuram threatened again early in the second half. In the 49th minute Carlos Augusto reached the byline and pulled the ball back for him, but the forward could only divert it wide of the far post. Eight minutes later the same pair combined, and De Gea punched away Thuram's first-time effort.
Fiorentina lost Pongracic to injury shortly after the restart, with Viery coming on as a forced substitution for coach Vanoli.
The breakthrough came in the 65th minute and against the run of play. Jimenez, who had been whistled by the home crowd after clashes with Inter players, struck a right-footed shot from distance that beat Provedel and went in off the far corner. Sky Sport described it as an extraordinary goal from a standing position.
Inter's response brought two moments of bad luck. In the 71st minute Carlos Augusto met a Calhanoglu free kick with his head and saw the ball come back off the top of the crossbar. Two minutes later the Brazilian stretched to head a cross towards the far post and hit the frame of the goal again.
There was controversy in the 68th minute when Thuram went down in the area under a challenge from Viery. Mariani appeared at first to point to the spot, then waved play on, and the VAR did not intervene, according to Sky Sport.
Chivu made a triple change on 78 minutes, sending on Sucic, Zielinski and Dimarco for Calhanoglu, Mkhitaryan and Bastoni. With four minutes of the 90 remaining he brought on 2006-born Lavelli in place of Barella in search of another forward.
Two goals in six minutes of added time
Six minutes of stoppage time were signalled, and Inter used them fully. In the 91st minute Thuram finally scored, finishing precisely after a one-two inside the area with Diouf, giving De Gea no chance.
Thuram then won the penalty that decided the match, and Zielinski struck it into the corner in the 98th minute to complete the turnaround, Sky Sport reports.
Sportmediaset's player ratings praised Thuram as a genuine centre-forward, while noting that Provedel conceded from the first shot he faced.
Inter's next fixture will test whether the momentum from this finish carries over; the table now has them back on top alongside Lazio.
