Inter Milan started its Serie A 2025-26 campaign with a 2-1 home victory on Sassuolo on Sunday, in a match in which the host wasted many opportunities and gave a late goal but held up to earn the much-needed three points.
Cristian Chivu’s Inter had suffered two consecutive league losses to lose ground early in the title race, but followed his Midweek Champions League win over Ajax Amsterdam with a different victory.
Federico Dimarco gave Inter a 14th minute ahead, but despite creating a large number of opportunities, it had to wait for Carlos Augusto’s bent goal nine minutes from time to go 2-0, with Walid Cheddira’s strike in the 84th minute that a Nervy ended.
Inter is 10th in the rankings on six points after four games, four off-leader Juventus, while the second placed Napoli has nine points and Pisa hosts on Monday. Promised Sassuolo stays on three points.
The host created an early chance when Carlos Augusto went on a Mazy Run in the Sassuolo area, but his shot was under pressure for a corner of Arijanet Muric. However, Inter was quickly in front.
Petar Sucic made an intelligent run into the area to collect a pass from Nicolo Barella before putting the ball back to the unmarked Dimarco, whose first shot flew in the density.
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Inter should have double his lead when Marcus Thuram went through one-on-one with Muric, but he pulled his shot wide.
Francesco Pio Esposito, who made his first Serie A -start, did well to maintain possession under pressure from two defenders, but his shot in turn flew over the bar and Sassuolo was still in the game.
Inter keeper Josep Martinez made a flying salvation to deny the header of Andrea Pinamonti, a memory of Chivu how fragile the lead was on his part, and Lautaro Martinez was introduced from the bank.
Chivu held confidence with Esposito, replaced Thuram and was almost rewarded when Muric took a reflex saving from the 20-year-old Spits’s overhead kick from close by.
At that time, Martinez served a perfect ball for Carlos Augusto to fire his shot directly to the keeper, but the Brazilian made up for his error minutes later when a dizzying run ended with his shot in the Defender Tarik Muharemovic.
Domenico Berardi played a wonderful one-two with Cheddira to forward the Moroccan goal, and the replacement made no mistake, but Sassuolo could not deny Inter the victory.
Published on September 22, 2025
