COMO, Italy (Interstat) — In a chaotic and high-scoring Serie A season opener that defied pregame projections, Inter Milan outlasted a spirited challenge from newly promoted Como, securing a 4-3 victory Sunday at Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia.

The match, played on April 12, 2026, featured a flurry of five goals in a stunning 13-minute span either side of halftime, turning a tactical contest into a wide-open shootout. The final scoreline contrasted sharply with pregame analytics, as Interstat’s game simulator had projected a 1-1 draw, and its ELO system gave Inter Milan only a slight 53.40 percent probability to win.

The first half was a tense, physical affair with Como’s Álex Valle receiving the game’s first yellow card in the 24th minute. The deadlock was broken in the 36th minute, but not by the favored visitors. Valle, the Como defender, atoned for his earlier booking by firing the home side into a surprising lead.

Inter Milan responded with force. Just before halftime, midfielder Nicolás Paz leveled the score in the 45th minute. The momentum swung decisively in first-half stoppage time as substitute Marcus Thuram announced his impact on the game. Thuram scored in the 45+1 minute to give Inter a 2-1 lead at the break, and then struck again just four minutes after the restart in the 49th minute to extend the advantage to 3-1.

Como refused to capitulate. In the 58th minute, forward Lucas Da Cunha found the net, assisted by Jacobo Ramón, to cut the deficit to 3-2 and reignite the home crowd’s hopes. The comeback was short-lived, however, as another Inter substitute, Denzel Dumfries, restored the two-goal cushion in the 72nd minute. Dumfries had earlier scored Inter’s fourth goal in the 58th minute, making it 4-2 and completing his own brace.

A late consolation goal from Denzel Dumfries of Como in the 72nd minute, assisted by Assane Diao, made it 4-3 and set up a frantic final 20 minutes. The closing stages were marred by a cascade of yellow cards as the game grew increasingly fractious, with nine cautions issued in the second half alone. Key Inter substitutes Hakan Çalhanoğlu, Piotr Zieliński, Carlos Augusto, Francesco Acerbi, and Manuel Akanji were all booked, along with Como’s Petar Sučić and Ange-Yoan Bonny. Akanji and Como’s Ramón were shown yellow cards simultaneously in stoppage time.

The victory gives Inter Milan a winning start to its Serie A campaign, improving its league record to one win and no losses. Across all competitions, Inter Milan now stands at two wins, one loss and one draw. For Como, the valiant effort in its top-flight return ends in defeat, leaving it with a league record of no wins and one loss, and an overall mark of no wins, one loss and one draw.

The match was ultimately decided by the clinical finishing of Inter’s substitutes. Marcus Thuram’s quickfire double and Denzel Dumfries’ two goals provided the decisive offensive firepower off the bench, overcoming key performances from Como’s Álex Valle, who had a goal and an assist, and Lucas Da Cunha, who found the net for the hosts.