Inter 2-1 Fiorentina: Thuram and Zielinski complete stoppage-time comeback

Inter Milan pulled off a dramatic stoppage-time comeback to beat Fiorentina 2-1 at the Giuseppe Meazza on Sunday. After dominating for long stretches and repeatedly running into an inspired David De Gea, Cristian Chivu's side avoided defeat with a Thuram goal in the 90th minute and a Zielinski penalty in the 97th. Alex Jimenez had earlier put the visitors ahead with a superb strike from distance in the 66th.

• Thuram equalised in the 90th minute after linking up with Diouf.
• Zielinski converted a 97th-minute penalty to seal the win.
• De Gea kept Fiorentina in the game with a string of fine saves.
• Alex Jimenez opened the scoring with a powerful long-range effort.
• Inter claim three important Serie A points at home.

Inter complete stoppage-time comeback after overcoming David De Gea resistance

The match started slowly. Inter showed the after-effects of their European commitment against Shakhtar and looked sluggish in the early stages, although they gradually worked their way into the game. Fiorentina were comfortable sitting deep, looking to break quickly and cause problems on the counter-attack.

Crosses from the flanks, particularly from the left, became Inter's main threat. The visiting defence began to struggle with that persistence, while Mastantuono showed flashes of quality on the right with individual actions and notable defensive work.

De Gea frustrates Inter again and again at the Giuseppe Meazza

The Spanish goalkeeper produced an outstanding display for more than 80 minutes. In the 35th minute he denied Thuram, who had beaten several defenders and fired across the box. A minute later he was called into action again to push away a fine attempt from Pio Esposito after a Nicolò Barella cross.

Inter were finding spaces and creating openings, but could not find a way past the Fiorentina keeper. The break did not change the pattern: the hosts came out determined to score, and Carlos Augusto continued to cause problems down the left. In the 57th minute, the Brazilian full-back found the French striker inside the box once more, and De Gea responded with another excellent stop.

Alex Jimenez puts Fiorentina ahead and punishes Inter

Just as Inter were pushing hardest, the visitors struck. In the 66th minute, Alex Jimenez unleashed a powerful right-footed shot from distance that flew into the back of the net to make it 0-1. The goal gave Fiorentina breathing room after they had barely threatened the opposition goal until that point.

Inter responded immediately. Four minutes after falling behind, Carlos Augusto came close to equalising with a shot after a Çalhanoglu cross-shot that crashed off the crossbar. Chivu's side needed changes and fresh legs in attack to keep the comeback alive.

Thuram and Zielinski seal Inter's comeback in stoppage time

The reward arrived in the 90th minute. Thuram finished with his left foot after a clever combination with Diouf to finally beat De Gea and make it 1-1. The move rewarded Inter's persistence and set up a tense finish that still had more drama to offer.

In stoppage time, a pull on Thuram inside the box resulted in a penalty. Zielinski stepped up and sent the ball into the top corner to seal a 2-1 victory. Inter confirmed their superiority in a nerve-wracking second half, while Fiorentina saw a win that had been within their grasp slip away.

Thuram stars as Inter's key attacking figure against Fiorentina

The French forward was the most decisive player for the Milanese side. He created the clearest chances of the match, won the decisive penalty and scored the equaliser in stoppage time. His movement and link-up play in the final third unsettled the visiting defence for much of the contest.

At the other end, De Gea delivered an outstanding performance despite conceding two late goals. The Spanish keeper made several top-class saves that kept Fiorentina ahead until the 90th minute. Inter's comeback, with three Serie A points on the line, punished a visiting side that had done enough to deserve something from the game.