Thuram seals Inter’s comeback and dedicates equaliser to injured Lautaro

Thuram turns the tide in the final minutes

Marcus Thuram was the catalyst for Inter’s dramatic 2-1 victory over Fiorentina, scoring an 90th-minute equaliser before winning the penalty that Piotr Zieliński converted in the 97th minute.

Thuram marked his late goal by imitating the celebration of Inter captain Lautaro Martínez, who is sidelined with an injury. “Yes, normally, he’s the one scoring in the 90th minute,” Thuram said after the match.

The forward said Inter’s players expect matches to remain alive until the closing moments. “There’s trust from a team that knows you can win games in the final minutes. Every time we step onto the field, we know the game will be long,” he told DAZN.

Thuram addresses penalty appeals and diving criticism

Thuram had appealed for a penalty earlier in the second half, shortly after Alex Jiménez had put Fiorentina ahead. The incident came after Thuram was booked for diving in Inter’s previous round against Bologna. He said he had watched that earlier incident back and believed it should have resulted in a spot kick.

“Errors can happen. I must keep challenging opponents, make things happen inside the box, and in the end they’ll give a penalty, as happened today.”

French hopes for the Ballon d’Or

With the Ballon d’Or award due the following day, Thuram backed his compatriots among the contenders. “I hope a Frenchman wins it,” he said, naming Kylian Mbappé, Dembélé and Olise. “We have many talented players who could win it, and I hope a Frenchman does.”

Zieliński said he felt calm before taking the decisive penalty. “Honestly, I was calm and confident I’d score,” the Poland international said. He also dismissed criticism of Inter, arguing the team’s results had been excellent apart from the game against Brugge.