Inter returned to the top of Serie A with a 3-1 victory over Bologna, built on a clear tactical plan and a decisive display from Lautaro Martinez at San Siro. The success also answered recent struggles against Bologna and came weeks after the Supercoppa Italiana semi-final defeat on penalties to Vincenzo Italiano's side.
Martinez underlined how the strategy shaped the result, describing a focus on pressing and second balls that targeted Bologna's build-up. I said before the game that we had prepared a plan, and it worked so well, as we started with a strong press after losing the ball, Martinez told DAZN Italia. That caused real problems for Bologna. Our midfielders also helped on the second ball, which is how we created the chances for the goals.
The match swung Inter's way through a flurry of goals across both halves. Piotr Zielinski opened the scoring on 39 minutes, drilling in after Martinez's precise assist. Early in the second half, Martinez met Hakan Calhanoglu's corner with a powerful header beyond Federico Ravaglia. Marcus Thuram then added a third, before Santiago Castro forced in a consolation seven minutes from time.
That sequence lifted Inter back above AC Milan and Napoli, who had both overtaken Inter earlier in the round. The win also corrected a difficult recent league record against Bologna. Inter had managed only one victory in the previous five Serie A meetings, drawing two and losing two, after winning four of the five clashes before that spell.
Martinez's goal carried clear historical weight for Inter. The captain reached double figures in a Serie A season for the seventh different league campaign with the club. Only Alessandro Altobelli, with eight such seasons, and Giuseppe Meazza plus Benito Lorenzi, both with nine, sit ahead in that ranking for the Nerazzurri.
Those numbers were highlighted again by Opta in a statistical breakdown of the forward's form, stressing Martinez's consistency across several seasons. The social media post underlined that the current Serie A campaign already includes 10 goals for the Argentina international. The tweet is embedded below for full context of the comparison.
7Only Alessandro Altobelli (eight), Giuseppe Meazza and Benito Lorenzi (nine each) have recorded more different league seasons with 10+ goals in the history of #Inter than #LautaroMartnez (seven10 goals in the current #SerieA season). Relentless. pic.twitter.com/DZVUyCPnKaOptaPaolo (@OptaPaolo) January 4, 2026
Martinez almost left the pitch much earlier after a heavy early challenge from Torbjorn Heggem, who stepped on the Inter captain's hand. Despite the pain, Martinez completed the game, later stressing the importance of the three points. These are three very important points for the team, he added.My hand hurts, but I push through it and give my all for the team, so I go home happy tonight.
Piotr Zielinski and Lautaro Martinez in Inter vs Bologna Serie A clash
Zielinski's opener marked a personal milestone as well as a turning point in the match. The Poland international scored in Serie A for the first time since 2 November, when Zielinski struck against Hellas Verona. Earlier in the season, Zielinski had mainly appeared from the bench, but recent displays have earned four successive league starts.
Reflecting on that shift, Zielinski pointed to steady form and Inter's improved control against Bologna. I've been in good condition for a while, I am glad that I can give my support to the team,he added. It all went well apart from the late goal, we had it largely under control, which was important because we'd had problems with Bologna recently.
His comments echoed the broader sense of relief within the squad after the Supercoppa exit.
Key match details from Inter vs Bologna in Serie A are summarised below for context on timings and scorers, highlighting how Inter built and protected the lead before Castro's late reply for Bologna.
| Minute | Team | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 39' | Inter | Piotr Zielinski scores after assist from Lautaro Martinez |
| 50' | Inter | Lautaro Martinez scores with header from Hakan Calhanoglu corner |
| 56' | Inter | Marcus Thuram adds third Inter goal |
| 83' | Bologna | Santiago Castro pulls one back |
Tactical details were expanded by assistant coach Aleksandar Kolarov, who spoke instead of Cristian Chivu, with Chivu losing voice during the matchday. Kolarov praised Martinez's influence and training standards. Lautaro is what we have always seen, he is our captain and our leader, who always gives 100%in every single training session, too,noted Kolarov.
Kolarov then described the system used to release Thuram and create space between Bologna's defenders. We prepared it this way today, trying to push a midfielder up and bring him back a little deeper to create a diamond, therefore isolating Marcus against their defender.
Lautaro is so good at understanding when and where to move that he finds the right positions, which is how the first goal came about.
That structure underpinned both the performance and the response to recent setbacks against Bologna.
