Inter Wobble, Como Surge: Serie A Leaders Stumble as Hartono's Lads Dream Big
Inter Milan drew 1-1 at Fiorentina, extending their winless streak and cutting their Serie A lead to six points, while Como thrashed Pisa 5-0 to grab a Champions League spot buffer. Pio Esposito earned rave reviews from Antonio Di Natale as Italy's next star, and Como face UEFA hurdles despite their surge post-owner's death. The title race heats up with eight rounds left.
Inter's Rocky Road to the Break
Picture this: Inter Milan, the Scudetto frontrunners, staggering into the international break like they've just gone 12 rounds with a heavyweight. A gritty 1-1 draw at Fiorentina on Sunday extended their winless run to four games across all comps, slashing their lead at the top to a nervy six points. Pio Esposito nodded them ahead inside 60 seconds – what a start! – but Cher Ndour smashed in a rebound late on to nab a point for the Viola, who clambered two clear of the trapdoor.
AC Milan, fresh off that derby scalp a fortnight back, sit second after tonking Torino. Napoli, the champs, are seven adrift but purring with four straight wins, including a Friday night graft at Cagliari. With eight rounds left, it's tighter than a defender's wallet.
Esposito: Azzurri's Next Big Thing?
Speaking of Pio Esposito, the lad's turning heads faster than a nutmeg in full flow. The Neapolitan hitman, who's bagged three in five for Italy already, has Antonio Di Natale drooling. "He reminds me a bit of Van Basten – movements like poetry," gushed the ex-Udinese legend to Gazzetta. Di Natale, who netted 11 in 42 Azzurri caps, reckons Pio's the future for the next 15 years.
"Serious, humble, destined for the top," added Di Natale, who crossed paths with Pio at Spezia last season alongside his bro Salvatore. Pio's Italy call-up for the World Cup play-off semis against Northern Ireland? Spot on, says the icon. "We're Italy – we'll show it." As reported by Lorenzo Bettoni at Football Italia, it's high praise from a Naples native rooting for his own.
Inter's recent Pisa comeback – Zielinski, Lautaro Martinez, and Pio again – showed grit, but this draw hurts.
Como's Five-Star Party Amid Heartache
Meanwhile, up north, Cesc Fabregas' Como are on a rampage, dreaming of Champions League nights. They battered Pisa 5-0 – their fifth straight W – leaping three points clear of Juventus (stuck after a 1-1 at Sassuolo). Goals flew in from Assane Diao, Anastasios Douvikas (his 11th, first Como bloke to hit double digits since the '50s!), Martin Baturina, Nico Paz, and Maximo Perrone. Ruthless.
Tragically, this came days after co-owner Michael Bambang Hartono, the Indonesian tobacco tycoon, passed at 86. He and brother Roberto snapped up Como in 2019 from the fourth tier; now they're Serie A top-four chasers for the first time in yonks.
But here's the rub: CL qualification brings UEFA headaches. Football Italia's Lorenzo Bettoni flags squad lists, stadium woes, and FFP squeezes. Como's splashed over €150m in two years on starry youth – Fabregas at the helm. Success arrived early; now they must navigate the red tape without bursting the budget bubble.
Title Tilt and Break Blues
Eight games to go, and the top's a knife-edge. Inter limp away licking wounds, Milan and Napoli lurk, while Como gatecrash the elite party. Esposito's Azzurri audition? Gold. Hartono's legacy? Immortal. Serie A never sleeps, lads – even on international break, the chat's buzzing.
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