Inter moved back to the top of the Serie A table with a 3-1 home victory over Bologna, led by a goal and assist from Lautaro Martinez. The result came just 16 days after a Supercoppa Italiana semi-final
defeat on penalties, giving Inter league revenge and a one-point advantage over rivals AC Milan.
The win arrived after earlier victories for Milan and Napoli had briefly dropped Inter to third place, adding pressure before kick-off at San Siro. Inter responded with authority, as Martinez again drove the attack and reached double figures in the league, reinforcing Scudetto ambitions in a demanding title race.
Martinez now has seven different Serie A seasons with at least 10 goals for Inter, a mark surpassed only by Alessandro Altobelli with eight, and Giuseppe Meazza and Benito Lorenzi with nine. The captain finished with a team-best four shots on target, while Marcus Thuram also impressed through constant running and intelligent movement across the front line.
3 goals and 3 big points in the bag pic.twitter.com/xGDBaeZtTN Inter(@Inter_en) January 4, 2026
No Inter player matched Thuram’s output without the ball. The France international won 12 duels, completed two dribbles, and also led the side with two tackles. That work rate was eventually rewarded with a decisive late goal, underlining Thuram’s influence beyond the scoresheet during a demanding contest against Vincenzo Italiano’s organised Bologna side.
Inter started strongly, forcing Bologna goalkeeper Federico Ravaglia into two early saves. Ravaglia blocked a Martinez volley, then dived low to the left to stop Thuram’s effort. The resistance broke six minutes before half-time, when Piotr Zielinski struck a powerful low shot from the edge of the penalty area to give Cristian Chivu’s team the lead.
The hosts struck again three minutes after the interval. Hakan Calhanoglu delivered a corner, and Martinez rose highest to head in his 10th Serie A goal of the campaign. Inter almost stretched the lead further when Lewis Ferguson slipped, allowing Thuram to cross, but Martinez crashed a close-range effort against the crossbar.
The decisive third arrived 16 minutes from the end, again from a corner that Bologna failed to clear, with the ball deflecting in off Thuram’s shoulder. Bologna still responded, as Santiago Castro converted Charalampos Lykogiannis’ cross in the 83rd minute, beating Yann Sommer despite an attempted save, but the strike came too late to change the outcome.
Inter vs Bologna Serie A statistics
Inter’s dominance showed clearly in the numbers. The hosts produced 19 shots, with 10 on target, and generated an expected goals value of 2.96. Bologna created only six attempts, posting an xG of 0.85, reflecting limited attacking threat despite Castro’s late consolation goal at San Siro.
| Team | Shots | Shots on target | Expected goals (xG) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inter | 19 | 10 | 2.96 |
| Bologna | 6 | Not specified | 0.85 |
Inter’s 3-1 victory over Bologna restored first place in Serie A and highlighted the influence of Martinez and Thuram at both ends of the pitch. With Milan and Napoli still close behind, this performance strengthened Inter’s position in the title race and showed a sharp response to the recent Supercoppa Italiana setback.
