Inter Outclass Bologna to Reclaim Serie A Summit

Inter Milan moved back to the summit of Serie A after a commanding 3-1 victory over Bologna at a vibrant San Siro, in a match where the scoreline barely captured the extent of the Nerazzurri’s dominance.

From the opening whistle, Inter played with urgency and authority, pinning Bologna deep and carving out chance after chance. Lautaro Martinez, Marcus Thuram and Alessandro Bastoni all tested Federico Ravaglia in a one-sided first half, as Bologna struggled to cope with Inter’s intensity and movement.

Despite the pressure, Inter were made to wait for their breakthrough. That moment finally arrived in the 39th minute through a goal worthy of the occasion. Thuram held off his marker brilliantly before backheeling into the path of Martinez, who danced past a challenge and calmly laid the ball off for Piotr Zielinski. The Polish midfielder unleashed a fierce first-time strike from the edge of the box that flew past Ravaglia and into the bottom corner.

Inter emerged from the break with even greater purpose and doubled their lead almost instantly. From a corner, Martinez escaped his marker and powered home a close-range header in the 48th minute, bringing up his 10th Serie A goal of the season and underlining his importance to Chivu’s title charge.

The Inter captain could have put the contest to bed within minutes, rattling the underside of the bar from point-blank range before firing straight at the goalkeeper when clean through. Bologna, stretched and disorganised, offered little resistance as wave after wave of Inter attacks followed.

The third goal arrived in the 74th minute and once again came from a set-piece. Federico Dimarco’s delivery caused chaos in the box, allowing Thuram to bundle the ball home with his shoulder for his fifth league goal of the campaign. By then, Bologna were hanging on and fortunate not to be facing a heavier defeat.

The visitors did snatch a late consolation in the 83rd minute when Inter switched off from a free-kick, allowing Santiago Castro to scramble the ball over the line. It did little to change the narrative of a match firmly controlled by the hosts, who finished with 10 shots on target and an xG of 3.3.

The win makes it five league victories in a row for Inter and sends them back to the top of the table after weekend wins for Milan and Napoli. Attention now turns to Wednesday’s trip to Parma before a mouthwatering clash with second-placed Napoli at San Siro next weekend.

For Bologna, the defeat extends their winless run to five matches. Vincenzo Italiano’s side remain in the top half but will need a response when they host Atalanta in midweek as pressure begins to mount.