Dumfries Strikes Twice as Inter Triumphs in Seven-Goal Thriller Against Como, Extending Lead to Nine Points

The Nerazzurri made the short trip north with a desire to take a significant step towards reclaiming the Scudetto, especially following Napoli’s draw with Parma earlier on Sunday. However, Como had their own ambitions, keen to secure UEFA Champions League qualification for the first time, and they started strong, with Denzel Dumfries and Francesco Acerbi making crucial last-ditch blocks to deny attempts from Anastasios Douvikas and Alex Valle.

The Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia erupted in celebration when Valle opened the scoring in the 36th minute, marking his first senior goal by slotting in a rebound after Yann Sommer deflected Nico Paz’s initial shot right into his path.

Just before the half-time break, Paz doubled Como’s advantage with an impressive left-footed strike, elegantly connecting with a long ball from Jean Butez that hit the post on its way in.

Nonetheless, Inter had the final say before the interval as Marcus Thuram pulled one back with a skillful first-time finish from a Nicolo Barella cross.

Como then faced a self-inflicted setback as Thuram netted his second goal just four minutes after the break, cancelling their two-goal advantage. Yet again, Barella provided the assist, delivering a perfect ball to Thuram, who executed a precise lob over Butez, stranded outside his area.

Inter completed a stunning turnaround two minutes shy of the hour mark when Dumfries headed in from a Hakan Calhanoglu free-kick at the far post, showcasing the qualities of champions in the making.

Although the hosts were determined to fight back, Sommer showcased his quality by deflecting a tricky set-piece from Paz.

Crucially, Chivu’s side struck again, effectively sealing the three points as Manuel Akanji allowed Calhanoglu’s cross to fall to Dumfries, who smashed in his second goal and Inter’s fourth.

Como did manage to pull one back through a penalty from Lucas Da Cunha after Ange-Yoan Bonny was adjudged to have fouled Paz.

This victory felt like a significant statement from Chivu’s team, who appear to be firmly back on track in their pursuit of a 21st top-flight title, registering 10 wins from their last 12 away league matches.

As for Como, this defeat ended their eight-match unbeaten streak across all competitions (W5, D3) and came as they missed the chance to break into the top four, suffering their sixth league loss of the campaign.

Find all the match statistics here.