Some days just feel cursed, as though nothing is going to go your way. Grey skies, a chill in the air despite the 12:30 kick-off, and the scoreboard at San Siro reading Inter 0-1 Fiorentina as the clock hits 90 minutes. The Nerazzurri have tried everything to get back into a game in which Fiorentina lead thanks to their only shot on target, a stunning long-range strike from Jimenez. Twice the crossbar has denied Inter, while an inspired De Gea has kept them at bay time and again. Everything seems to be saying the same thing: not today, no comeback this time. But Inter have other ideas. The Nerazzurri simply refuse to take no for an answer, not during this extraordinary start to the season. So what if they fall behind? Somehow, some way, there's always time to turn things around. Their approach never changes: determination, belief and that fierce desire to win. Once again, Marcus Thuram is the man leading the charge. Tikus takes the team on his shoulders, driving Inter forward and lifting San Siro with his sheer determination, immense physical presence and outstanding quality. The substitutes play their part too, making their mark on another late onslaught. And then, in the 97th minute, Piotr Zielinski steps up with nerves of steel to send San Siro into raptures once again. Anyone living nearby and watching the match on television must be getting used to hearing those celebrations by now. After a game that seemed to last forever, a rollercoaster of emotions ends with another three points. Seven wins and a draw from eight league games leave Inter joint top with Lazio on 22 points. The Nerazzurri have now picked up 13 points from losing positions, with this latest comeback completed entirely in stoppage time. It's only the third time in Inter's history that they've turned a defeat into victory after the 90th minute, following their remarkable wins over Sampdoria (3-2 in 2005) and Cesena (2-1 in 2011).
Let's look back at Inter vs. Fiorentina through five key moments from Matchday eight.
Twice in the space of just three minutes, and in almost identical fashion. Both times, Carlos Augusto gets to a Calhanoglu set-piece delivery first, only to be denied by the crossbar. The first comes from a free kick, with the Brazilian rising to meet the ball and glancing his header against the top of the bar, leaving San Siro's roar of celebration cut short. Then, from a corner, Carlos gets another touch at the near post, flicking the ball over De Gea and onto the woodwork once again. It's beginning to look like one of those days when nothing will go Inter's way. A goal would have made it three consecutive games on the scoresheet for Carlos, another reward for his outstanding start to the season. But even he seems out of luck. It's the start of a relentless 20-minute siege on the Fiorentina goal, one that will eventually bring the sweetest of rewards for the Nerazzurri faithful.
A special afternoon for Ivan Provedel, even if, for a while, it looked set to end in disappointment. An Inter fan since childhood, the goalkeeper was greeted with applause from the Curva and the rest of San Siro as he made his official Nerazzurri debut. He had barely been tested for over an hour, only to concede from Fiorentina's first shot on target. Despite Inter's dominance, the visitors were ahead, leaving Chivu's side chasing an equaliser. The Nerazzurri poured forward, committing more players to attack and pinning Fiorentina back in their own half. It was an inevitable approach, but one that left them vulnerable to counter-attacks. And in the 79th minute, that danger became all too real. Gnonto controlled a cross from the left on the right side of the penalty area, shifted the ball and fired a rising shot towards goal from close range. A second Fiorentina goal would have dealt a huge blow to Inter's hopes of a comeback. But Provedel had other ideas. The goalkeeper launched himself across goal and produced a superb save, getting a hand to the ball to deny Fiorentina a second. A crucial intervention from Ivan, helping turn what could have been a frustrating debut into an unforgettable one.
The 85th minute. The fourth official raises the substitution board: Barella off, Lavelli on. With Inter trailing 1-0 and just five minutes of normal time left, Cristian Chivu goes all in, sending on the striker born in 2006 with a simple instruction: "Play through the middle, with Thuram on your right and Bonny on your left." It's an ultra-attacking 4-3-3, a final throw of the dice to break down Fiorentina's resistance. "I wasn't expecting to come on," Lavelli would later admit. Known as Pocho because of the similarity between his surname and that of Ezequiel Lavezzi, the young forward had played for Inter U23 against Sorrento just a day earlier. Now, with the game hanging in the balance, Chivu was putting his faith in him. Lavelli made every minute count. He battled for the ball in the box, pressed Fiorentina's defenders tirelessly and, with the score at 1-1, won back possession in a crucial area to keep Inter on the attack. The move developed, with Lavelli involved again in the middle before Thuram won the decisive penalty. Then, with Inter finally ahead and the clock running down, he held the ball up once more to keep play away from Provedel's goal.When the final whistle came, Lavelli threw his arms into the air, his face breaking into a beaming, almost disbelieving smile. He had been on the pitch for less than 15 minutes, but Matteo Lavelli had made his mark on what was an unforgettable comeback.
There's a look of fierce determination on Marcus Thuram's face that we're becoming increasingly familiar with. Almost like a man possessed, the Frenchman wants to win at all costs, even when finding the back of the net seems impossible. His battle with David De Gea is a thrilling one, with the Spanish goalkeeper having an answer to everything Tikus throws at him until the 91st minute. Two shots across goal from the right in the first half, a left-footed effort on the turn after the break, countless physical battles with opposition defenders and those trademark driving runs. During one of them, Viery brings him down in the box, but referee Mariani waves away Inter's penalty appeals. Thuram has made a habit of leading the way in recent months, particularly at San Siro, where he has forged a special bond with the Nerazzurri faithful. And in the 91st minute, he somehow finds the energy to make another run in behind, take on Valdepenas and beat him, exchange passes with Diouf in a tight space and produce a wonderfully precise left-footed finish. San Siro holds its breath as the ball rolls towards goal, catching De Gea wrong-footed and leaving him helpless as it nestles in the bottom corner to his left. It's the seventh consecutive game at San Siro in which Thuram has scored, a feat previously achieved for Inter only by Romelu Lukaku (7) and Christian Vieri (11). He celebrates with a tribute to Lautaro before turning to the stands, urging the fans to make even more noise and roar Inter on towards a comeback. Seven minutes later, the turnaround is complete, and once again Thuram is at the heart of it. He gets in front of Valdepenas as Akanji's cross comes into the box, uses his body to shield the ball and is pulled down by the defender. As soon as the referee points to the spot, Marcus leaps to his feet and races towards the Curva, punching the air and shouting with joy. A gladiator whipping the crowd into a frenzy, refusing to let tiredness or anything else stand in his way. When the final whistle finally blows, that fierce expression gives way to his familiar smile. Marcus sinks to the turf, exhausted but delighted, after yet another outstanding performance in what has already been a remarkable start to the season.
The pressure is on. Zielinski admitted as much after the game. It's the 97th minute, and he has the chance to complete a comeback that had seemed impossible just moments earlier. But Piotr Zielinski isn't fazed. Calm, composed and ice-cool from the spot. San Siro falls silent as he prepares to take the penalty, his focus unwavering. The whole stadium holds its breath as he steps up, then erupts as the Polish midfielder smashes the ball high to De Gea's right. The goalkeeper goes the right way, but there's nothing he can do to stop a penalty struck with such power and precision. It's another moment that wins Piotr even more affection from the Inter faithful. A massive victory, three precious points, and once again, Zielinski has made the difference. His teammates rush to embrace him as the whole of San Siro celebrates. A few minutes later, the final whistle blows. What had looked like an afternoon of frustration and disappointment has turned into another unforgettable day in Inter's remarkable start to the season.
