Inter comes from two down to beat Napoli late

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Matteo Politano and Rasmus Hojlund had put Napoli in a commanding position early in the second half before Lautaro Martinez started the comeback.

Marcus Thuram then pulled Inter level, but it was its captain who stepped up just as the clock ticked past 90 minutes to ensure the reigning champion maintained its 100 per cent start to the season.

Josep Martinez had to make a double save early on to keep out Frank Anguissa and Politano, while Francesco Pio Esposito headed narrowly wide at the other end.

Inter almost went ahead just before half-time as Federico Dimarco bent a stunning free-kick from just outside the box against the frame of the goal.

However, Napoli came out fighting in the second half; Inter got caught playing out from the back, and although Politano's first shot was blocked, he reacted quickly to turn it into the bottom-left corner with his second attempt just five minutes after the break.

Three minutes later, Hojlund doubled the lead. The hosts were caught napping on a quick free-kick, and Giovanni Di Lorenzo slid in the Dane, who drilled past a wrong-footed Josep Martinez.

But Inter had pulled one back in the 56th minute as Lautaro Martinez pounced on Dimarco's pullback, with Alex Meret drawn out to the ball, leaving the goal gaping.

Thuram then hit the post with a cushioned header as Inter stepped up their attempts for an equaliser, which the Frenchman found in the 82nd minute as he rose high to thump in Carlos Augusto's cross.

Anguissa and Thuram both saw chances go begging as it looked like the teams were heading for a draw, but Lautaro Martinez had the final say, stretching to poke the ball beyond Meret after Manuel Akanji had kept it alive in the crowded box.

Inter boss Cristian Chivu was delighted with his side's mentality, insisting the Nerazzurri deserved all three points.

"It was a great game to watch, entertaining, and a fantastic advertisement for Italian football," he said.

"At 2-2, both teams went toe-to-toe. I saw chances at both ends, and in the end, we're the ones celebrating because we managed to make it 3-2.

"We have to compliment Napoli because they're a strong side, well-coached and filled with match-winners.

"We could have handled the first goal better, and conceding the second was a consequence of overthinking what went wrong on the opener.

"But I loved the reaction. The team didn't lose its head and maintained its identity. Pulling it back to 2-1 gave us extra hope while knowing we couldn’t take wild risks. Ultimately, our courage was rewarded."