Inter 2-0 Como: Pio Esposito and Marcus Thuram score inside 19 minutes at San Siro

Inter needed less than 20 minutes to settle their matchday 11 meeting with Como at San Siro, Pio Esposito opening the scoring in the 12th minute and Marcus Thuram doubling it seven minutes later. From there, Cristian Chivu's side let Cesc Fàbregas's Como have the ball — Como finished with 57% possession and completed well over a hundred more passes than the home side — without ever letting that control translate into a route back into the game. The 2-0 win takes Inter above Roma into second place in Serie A.

Esposito and Thuram settle it early

Esposito's goal came from a Djed Spence assist in the 12th minute, giving Inter the lead they would not relinquish. Thuram added the second seven minutes later without an assist credited, and with the game effectively over as a contest before the half-hour mark, Inter spent the rest of the afternoon managing the clock and the opponent rather than chasing a third. Esposito was the only player booked all match, picking up a yellow card in the 72nd minute.

A number that stood out: dominant on the ball, blunt in front of goal

Como's statistical dominance after Inter's fast start is the detail that defines this game. Como completed 595 of 651 passes to Inter's 439 of 499 and had 57% of the possession, yet managed only a single shot on target all afternoon, to Inter's four. It is as clear an illustration as Serie A has produced this season of the gap between controlling a match and troubling a goalkeeper — Como had the ball for long stretches of the second half without ever turning that control into a genuine chance to get back into the game.

Form coming in

Both sides arrived in excellent form. Inter had won four of their previous five matches across competitions, their only blemish the derby defeat to AC Milan the previous weekend, while Como had won five in a row, a run that included a 9-1 Champions League win away to Lens. This was still only Como's second Serie A defeat of the season — their first ten league games had produced seven wins, two draws and just the one loss, away to Frosinone.

What it means in the table

Inter move to 28 points, above Roma's 27 and now just a point behind league leaders Lazio. Como drop to fifth on 23 points, overtaken by AC Milan's win over Genoa earlier the same day, but still comfortably inside the Champions League places in what is proving an outstanding first season back in the division's upper half. Both clubs also have European business to balance alongside the league: Inter sit 15th in the Champions League league phase with six points from four games, while Como are fourth with nine points from four, a far healthier return in continental competition than their defeat at San Siro suggests about their season as a whole.

Scorers

• 12' — Pio Esposito (Inter), assisted by Djed Spence
• 19' — Marcus Thuram (Inter)

Match facts

Line-ups

What's next

Inter sit second on 28 points, a point behind Lazio and one ahead of Roma, heading into the international break on the back of a response to the derby defeat at Milan. Como stay fifth on 23 points, still well placed in the European places, and will look to bounce straight back into winning form when the league returns.