A place in the Coppa Italia final beckons as Inter and Como go head-to-head in the return leg of their evenly poised semi-final tie. Tuesday’s clash at Stadio San Siro marks the third meeting between the two teams in 2026.
Inter failed to make a single shot on target in a tepid 0-0 draw in the first leg at Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia last month. Despite generating their season-lowest 0.07 xG in that clash, Cristian Chivu’s side scored four times on their last visit to this stadium, overturning a two-goal disadvantage to beat the Lariani 4-3 a fortnight ago.
That victory forms part of the Nerazzurri’s flawless three-game Serie A record since the club season resumed in April. Friday’s 3-0 rout of perennial strugglers Cagliari moved Inter to the brink of their 21st Scudetto. Indeed, Chivu’s men boast a whopping 12-point lead over second-placed Napoli, with only five games left to play.
By contrast, Como fell to a frustrating 2-1 defeat at Sassuolo, extending their winless league streak to three matches (D1, L2). As a result, Cesc Fabregas’ men have lost further ground in a fiercely contested top-four race, falling five points behind fourth-placed Juventus. Nevertheless, they’re on the verge of securing European football for the first time in the club’s history.
With seventh-placed Atalanta lagging four points behind Como, Fabregas looks set to lead the Lariani to an unprecedented success. Furthermore, the former Arsenal midfielder is aiming to help the club win a major piece of silverware for the first time.
Inter could be crowned the new Serie A champions as early as next weekend, with Chivu one step away from winning the Scudetto in his first season in charge of the club. Meanwhile, the Nerazzurri are potentially 90 minutes away from reaching their first Coppa Italia final since 2023 after beating Venezia and Torino in the earlier stages of the competition.
Chivu could become only the third-ever Inter manager to win a coveted domestic double. The last coach to achieve this impressive feat was Jose Mourinho back in 2010 as part of a historic treble-winning season. With the Nerazzurri bagging at least three goals in each Serie A outing after the international break, it’s hard to put it past them to book a spot in the final.
However, Inter would be wise not to take anything for granted, knowing bitter rivals Milan dumped them out at this stage last season. On a more promising note, they have beaten upcoming opponents Como in four of their five meetings since the Lariani’s return to Serie A, though the only draw came in this competition.
Scoring has been an issue for Como in this fixture. Despite netting three goals in their most recent meeting with the Nerazzurri, the Lariani have failed to find the net in eight of their last ten clashes. Furthermore, they’ve lost all three away matches against Inter in the 21st century by an aggregate score of 10-0, conceding multiple goals on each occasion.
It’s not only history that paints a bleak picture for Como. Indeed, the visitors head into proceedings on the back of two consecutive league losses. For context, they last suffered back-to-back defeats in mid-December, highlighting the depth of the crisis at the Sinigaglia Stadium. However, there’s a silver lining.
Facing Inter on the road could be a blessing in disguise despite Como’s dreadful record at San Siro. Fabregas’ charges have remarkably won seven of their last ten away games in all competitions (D2, L1), including a pair of victories over Fiorentina and Napoli in the Coppa Italia.
Inter will be without three first-team stars for this ‘make or break’ showdown. In addition to long-serving captain Lautaro Martinez, Chivu is unable to call upon starting center-backs Alessandro Bastoni and Yann Bisseck. Therefore, Francesco Acerbi, Carlos Augusto, and Ange-Yoan Bonny are likely to return to the starting lineup.
On the other hand, Dutch winger Jayden Addai remains the only notable absentee in the visiting squad. All eyes will be on prodigious forward Nico Paz, who has emerged as a genuine target for Inter ahead of the summer transfer window.
Inter (3-5-2): Sommer; Bisseck, Akanji, Augusto; Dumfries, Barella, Calhanoglu, Zielinski, Dimarco; Thuram, Esposito.
Como (4-2-3-1): Butez; Smolcic, Ramon, Kempf, Valle; Perrone, Da Cunha; Vojvoda, Paz, Baturina; Douvikas.
With Como suffering a massive downturn and Inter hitting top form, everything points toward another victory for the Nerazzurri. However, the visitors are likely to put up a fight, and there’s a feeling that a single goal could make all the difference in this tie.