TITLE STATEMENT: INTER MILAN THRASH COMO 4-0, END UNBEATEN STREAK
Lautaro Martinez, Thuram, Calhanoglu, and Carlos Augusto all scored in the 4-0 demolition of Como, who had the league's best defense before this match.
Inter Milan made a statement about their title hopes, thrashing Como 4-0 with goals from Lautaro Martinez, Marcus Thuram, Hakan Calhanoglu, and Carlos Augusto.
Only three points separated the teams before the game at San Siro. Como was unbeaten in 11 matches and had Ivan Smolcic back from suspension, but Sergi Roberto and Edoardo Goldaniga were still unavailable. Inter rotated their squad after their 5-1 Italian Cup win over Venezia. Henrikh Mkhitaryan was only fit enough for the bench, and Denzel Dumfries, Matteo Darmian, and Raffaele Di Gennaro were injured. Inter had tried to sign Cesc Fabregas and Nico Paz in the summer.
Early on, Diego Carlos had to deflect Lautaro Martinez's lob over the bar. Then, Jean Butez rushed out to deny Nicolò Barella, who was sent through by a Lautaro Martinez pass.
Inter's pressure paid off when Luis Henrique sprinted down the right, beat Jacobo Ramon with a cutback, and passed to Lautaro Martinez, who finished from 12 yards.
Adding to Como's problems, Alvaro Morata went off with a potentially serious thigh injury.
Tasos Douvikas had a chance to tie the game for Como, but Barella made a good block.
After halftime, Inter kept attacking. Federico Dimarco's pass to Marcus Thuram was too strong, but later Dimarco set up Lautaro Martinez, who missed the target.
Como should have equalised when Jesus Rodriguez found Douvikas at the far post, but he shot over the bar.
Alex Valle also headed a Nico Paz cross over the bar after Yann Sommer misjudged his run. Just as Como was pushing forward, Inter scored again.
Dimarco's corner was headed by Francesco Acerbi, and Thuram scored from close range. It was the first time Como had conceded more than one goal all season.
Jesus Rodriguez dribbled past four Inter players but shot over the bar. Dimarco's shot was deflected into the net, but it was ruled out for offside.
A Nico Paz header was blocked by Acerbi, and Assane Diao shot over from the corner. Butez scrambled back to stop Lautaro Martinez from scoring after a Luis Henrique pass.
Inter's third goal was a team effort. Barella won the ball back and nutmegged Mergim Vojvoda, then Lautaro Martinez and Henrikh Mkhitaryan set up Calhanoglu to score from outside the box.
Inter was now in control. Dimarco ran down the left, and Petar Sucic let the cross go through to Carlos Augusto, who volleyed in at the far post.
RADJA NAINGGOLAN SLAMS NAPOLI’S SCOTT MCTOMINAY AS "JUST AVERAGE" IN TV RANT
Radja Nainggolan has sparked controversy by calling Napoli's Scudetto winner Scott McTominay "average" in a scathing TV interview.
Scott McTominay’s journey from Manchester United to Napoli has been wild. He’s helped the club win a Scudetto, snagged a Ballon d’Or nomination, and his goal tally is impressive. But not everyone’s sold on him. Even with all those honours, one Serie A legend isn’t convinced. Radja Nainggolan slammed him as just “an average player".
After McTominay’s £26 million jump from Old Trafford in 2024, he took off. He won the Serie A MVP, clinched Napoli’s fourth Scudetto with a spectacular overhead goal against Cagliari, and made a big mark in Italy. Still, Nainggolan, never shy with an opinion, tore into him during a TV interview. Despite McTominay racking up 26 goals in 76 games and getting a Ballon d’Or nod, Nainggolan didn’t hold back. “I don’t like him,” he said on Sky Calcio Unplugged. “He gets his goals, 12, 13, 14 a season, but his general play? He doesn’t have the technique to move between the lines. He’s just average.”
And he wasn’t content to leave it at that. Nainggolan compared himself to today’s names, arguing he was better than both McTominay and Inter’s Hakan Calhanoglu at his best, though he admitted Nicolo Barella sits above him. “At my peak, I was better than McTominay and Calhanoglu, but Barella is on another level,” Nainggolan said. “He doesn’t always score a lot, but when he does, it matters, and you always feel his presence on the pitch. I like De Bruyne, too; he sees things nobody else does. He’s above me, and Modric...he’s always been world-class.”
Of course, Nainggolan’s take doesn’t really jibe with life in Naples. McTominay has become something of a hero there; his face is on murals around the city, the fans have dubbed him ‘McFratm’ (McBrother), and he helped Napoli win the Supercoppa Italiana in December 2025. Even if Inter seems ready to grab the Serie A crown back, McTominay’s reputation hasn’t dipped. His knack for scoring from midfield has been crucial for Conte’s side.
Nainggolan also touched on Belgium’s so-called “Golden Generation” and why they didn’t deliver a major trophy, despite stars like Lukaku, Hazard, and De Bruyne. He knows the team well, having made 30 appearances before retiring after he got left out of the 2018 World Cup squad. “We had Lukaku, Hazard, De Bruyne, and Courtois. Too many superstars, too many egos,” Nainggolan said. “Everyone wanted to be the star, to be the most important guy, and that just doesn’t work.” His take pretty much confirms what fans suspected: there was plenty of talent, but not enough unity.
MANCHESTER UNITED AND CHELSEA ENTER RACE FOR DISCOUNTED €50M-RATED RAFAEL LEãO
Discover why Rafael Leão’s value has plummeted at AC Milan and which Premier League clubs are leading the race to sign him.
Just a year ago, everyone was buzzing about Rafael Leao and his rumoured €120 million move to Chelsea. Fast forward to this summer’s transfer window, and it looks like AC Milan’s ready to let him go for nowhere near that amount. Manchester United, along with a few others, are circling, hoping to get him for much less.
Last week, Gazzetta dello Sport broke the news: Milan now values Leao at just €50 million. That’s a wild drop, especially since six months ago they slapped a €100 million price tag on him.
So what happened? Why did his value tank so quickly?
Perception plays a big part. Leao’s estimated transfer value hasn’t actually changed that much. FootballTransfers’ algorithm had him pegged at €72.5 million last July, and now he’s at €70.7 million. But Milan’s own estimate? That’s fallen off a cliff.
Last summer, Milan wanted €50 million above the algorithm’s number. Now, they’re ready to accept an offer that’s €20 million below it.
Leao once had everything going for him in Milan. In the 2021/22 season, he carried them to the Scudetto, racking up 11 goals and 10 assists. Clubs were fighting over him, and in 2023, Milan rewarded him with a hefty €7 million salary and a massive €175 million release clause. That’s when top European clubs started sniffing around for a record-breaking deal.
But the new contract didn’t spark another big season for Leao. In his next campaign, he scored 15 goals and managed 14 assists, but fans started to turn, especially after two weak outings against Roma in the Europa League.
Things haven’t improved since. Early in the 2024/25 season, Milan benched him for disciplinary reasons, and he seemed pretty unfazed, something that sparked more criticism. He’s had some public clashes with head coach Max Allegri, too. Despite still being Milan’s top scorer, he hasn’t scored in two months. And the fans? They’ve booed him at home games, most recently against Juventus and earlier against Udinese.
Now, Milan looks ready to move on. Leao’s raw talent is still obvious, but at San Siro, the excitement has faded. SciSports, the data analytics folks, show his performance is in “significant decline” based on their SciSkill rating. Still, they think he can bounce back.
According to Gazzetta dello Sport, Milan plans to hold off until the World Cup, hoping Leao puts on a big show for Portugal and builds hype again.
He’s still got admirers. Arsenal’s been keeping tabs on him, FootballTransfers said back in February. Chelsea, Liverpool, and United are all in the market for a left-sided attacker and would jump at the chance to grab a rejuvenated Leao.
Sure, the €120 million rumours are a thing of the past. But the old Leão, the top-class player, is still in there somewhere. He just needs the right club, coach, and a fresh start.
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