Inter snatch 2-1 win over Fiorentina with late Thuram equaliser and Zielinski penalty to go top of Serie A

Zielinski penalty completes stunning late turnaround

Inter looked set to suffer a shock defeat at the hands of Fiorentina, but turned the game around late on to win 2-1 and move top of Serie A. Piotr Zielinski scored a 97th-minute penalty to complete the comeback, having been awarded the spot kick after Marcus Thuram was brought down inside the area.

Fiorentina strike against the run of play

Inter struggled to make inroads early on and were frustrated by a determined Fiorentina side. The visitors broke the deadlock in the 65th minute when Nicolo Fagioli intercepted a clearance and teed up Alex Jimenez, who arrowed a stunning long-range effort into the top-right corner.

David de Gea was outstanding for Fiorentina, making eight saves. He denied Thuram with an outstretched leg, clawed a Francesco Pio Esposito header off the line, and parried efforts from Thuram and Petar Sucic. Marin Pongracic also made an impressive block to deny Thuram early in the second half.

Carlos Augusto struck the crossbar twice within just over a minute, and Ivan Provedel kept out Wilfried Gnonto's curler at the other end as Fiorentina threatened to double their lead.

Thuram spares Inter's blushes

Inter kept the pressure on throughout and their persistence finally paid off in the 91st minute. Thuram's low shot trickled past De Gea and into the bottom-right corner to level the match. Thuram was then dragged down by Victor Valdepenas, and referee pointed straight to the spot. Zielinski made no mistake, firing into the roof of the net.

Thuram had nine of Inter's 33 shots and led the way with four attempts on target and 13 touches in the opposition box. He is now the third Inter player to score in at least seven consecutive Serie A home matches in the three-points-per-win era, after Romelu Lukaku in 2021 and Christian Vieri in 2003 (11 straight).

Inter generated 3.4 expected goals (xG) to Fiorentina's 0.24 from seven attempts. Paolo Vanoli will feel hard done by, but Inter showed the resilience expected of reigning champions. The result means Cristian Chivu's side have caught Lazio at the top of the table with 22 points, while Fiorentina remain in the drop zone with just four.