For the 11th day of Serie A football, Inter-Como is on the pitch:
Cristian Chivu asks Inter for one last effort to end a month of fire in the best possible way. There is Como at San Siro, perhaps the most complicated match after the derby of this cycle. Facing Cesc Fabregas' team, which has made headlines in recent weeks for its incredible run in the Champions League. But a team determined to re-establish the ranking hierarchies awaits them at San Siro.
Chivu will once again rely on Marcus Thuram, Inter's permanent starter since September 14th. He is the one who carried the team on his shoulders, in the exciting comeback victories (but which highlighted problems with the collective's solidity) up to the defeats that hurt like in the derby. Zinedine Zidane noticed the French striker's performances and called him up for the next matches against Italy and Türkiye.
Now the call must be crowned with a great performance against Como. On paper, Sunday's aperitif match (Inter-Como is scheduled for 6pm) will be full of goals. The previous ones tell of exciting matches, with many twists and turns. In the first leg of the championship at San Siro, in December 2025, Inter took the lead with goals from Lautaro, Thuram, Calhanoglu and Carlos Augusto. Total domination of the hosts.
Then there was the goalless draw in the first leg of the Coppa Italia semi-final in Como. Then again at Sinigallia the return match of the championship with seven goals and Inter who overturned it on that occasion too (double from Thuram and Dumfries). And Inter also needed a comeback in the second leg of the Coppa Italia semi-final at San Siro, which ended 3-2 last April. In short, many goals and two teams facing each other head-on to win.
Chivu, however, said that Inter have learned from their mistakes in recent days. He has worked on his approach to matches and is aware that he must not err on the side of pride, hoping to always rely on the big names in the squad. At San Siro against Fabregas' 'terrible kids', maximum concentration will be needed from the start. Inter will also find one of the most sought after players in recent times: Nico Paz.
The Argentine, also courted by Zanetti, will have to be limited in his maneuvering even if he is not the only champion of the Larian game. Douvikas has already scored eleven goals this season, he is the top scorer in the Champions League, but also in the championship he has already scored five times, as much as Thuram. For Inter, however, it must not be a challenge on equal terms. He must impose himself and return to victory in the championship too. We need to close a tough, at times complicated cycle as best we can and stay one step away from the top.
There couldn't have been a better run-in for Como who are targeting Inter with the boost of the nine goals against Lens, and with a path of six consecutive victories between the championship and the Champions League. 'But the difference between us and them remains - says Cesc Fabregas on the eve - although I would change little about our matches played in recent years against Inter. At least three times we came close to beating them. But when they raise the level, the difference can be seen, especially in the details.'
Those details that today's Como could have improved, 'I don't rule out surprises, but we will certainly need the perfect match. Let's not call it a final exam, I would rather define it as a test to understand where we can get to. We have to remember that we know how to play great games, play our football, keep our balance and be at least 60% as effective as what we managed to do in Lens. Scoring goals helps a lot, if that shot from Diao had gone into the semi-final last year, we would have gone to the final...'.
There is no doubt, however, that this Como has still grown. Just as Fabregas himself feels grown up in a certain sense. 'Not for the results, I don't feel better for one more or less result. But I certainly understand that I know how to read and manage matches better. I'm calmer even on the bench, I don't get warnings anymore... Playing every three days has changed my life, for me and for my staff. And it's not a match that can change anything. We're working to become a great team, and keeping balance helps a lot, whatever happens.' The three players called up by Mancini to the national team are also part of Como's growth: in addition to Ricci for the first time there will be Liberali and the young surprise Cassano.
'We focus a lot on young people, therefore I support and support these choices by Mancini, which make it clear that he also wants to move in this direction, and it is a fundamental step. We must stay close to young people, support their growth, not massacre them at the first mistake. And this will definitely bring results. I'm very happy for our boys, and also very proud for Ramon's first call-up with the Spanish national team, I'm proud to be able to help my country as well as Italy.' Returning to Inter, 'there is always something to learn from them. How to stop them? We will see it on the pitch, they have players who can decide the match at any moment. We are calm, we will do what we know without being influenced. What happened the other night is something that happens once in a lifetime, it has nothing to do with tomorrow's match.'
Fabregas will not be able to recover any of the injured players: for Chalobah and Diao the return is postponed until the restart after the break, Kean, Addai and Rodriguez are also out and their recovery times will be longer.
