MILAN (Interstat) — In a stunning opening-day result that defied statistical projections, Inter Milan and Napoli played to a 2-2 draw Sunday at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza in a Serie A match that saw a substitute emerge as the unlikely hero for the visitors.

The match, which kicked off the 2025-26 Italian league campaign for both sides, was expected to be a comfortable victory for the hosts. Pre-game analytics from Interstat gave Inter Milan a 96.70 percent probability to win and projected a conservative 1-1 final score. The actual result matched the projected scoreline but followed a far more dramatic and unexpected narrative.

Inter Milan started with authority, taking an early lead in the 9th minute. Defender Federico Dimarco, pushing forward from his left-back position, opened the scoring with a well-taken goal, settling the home crowd and seemingly setting the stage for a dominant performance.

That script was abruptly rewritten in the 26th minute. Napoli, struggling to gain a foothold, found a lifeline through substitute Scott McTominay. The midfielder, introduced earlier than planned, announced his impact by netting the equalizer, sending the teams into halftime level at 1-1.

The second half saw Inter Milan reassert control, and they were rewarded in the 81st minute when midfielder Hakan Çalhanoğlu found the back of the net, restoring the Nerazzurri lead at 2-1 and appearing to secure the three points.

Yet McTominay and Napoli had one final twist to deliver. Deep into second-half stoppage time, with the clock showing the 90+2 minute, the Scottish international struck again. Assisted by fellow substitute Juan Jesus, McTominay bundled home his second goal of the match to snatch a dramatic and improbable point for the Partenopei. The assist was Jesus’s sole notable contribution before he received a yellow card moments after the restart, as tempers flared following the equalizer.

The final whistle confirmed a 2-2 draw, a result that left the packed San Siro crowd in a state of disbelief. The match was a tale of two key performances: Dimarco and Çalhanoğlu providing the expected offensive thrust for Inter, and McTominay delivering a monumental, match-saving double off the bench for Napoli.

The draw leaves both teams with identical records to start the Serie A season: 0 wins, 0 losses and 1 draw. Their overall records across all competitions also mirror each other. For Napoli, the point secured in Milan represents a massive, morale-boosting escape. For Inter Milan, it is a jarring case of two points dropped in a match they led twice and were overwhelmingly favored to win. The result immediately injects intrigue into the early Scudetto race, proving that pre-game probabilities offer no guarantees once the whistle blows.