Inter fight back against Como to reach Italian Cup final

Rome: Inter Milan booked their place in the Italian Cup final on Tuesday after overturning a two-goal deficit to beat Como 3-2, advancing by the same score on aggregate.

At the San Siro, Inter appeared to be heading out when Como struck twice and held control for much of the contest. Martin Baturina opened the scoring in the 32nd minute, finishing neatly from Ignace Van Der Brempt's cutback after the visitors had enjoyed the better of the play.

Como then doubled their lead two minutes after the restart when captain Lucas Da Cunha collected a through ball from Nico Paz and finished past Josep Martinez. The second goal left Inter looking in serious trouble before the home side mounted a late recovery.

Hakan Calhanoglu began the comeback in the 69th minute with a deflected effort that cut the deficit in half and lifted the crowd. The Turkey captain then brought Inter level in the 86th minute, meeting Petar Sucic's inswinging cross with a header.

Moments later, the two players combined again, this time with Calhanoglu turning provider as Sucic scored the decisive goal with a composed finish to send Inter through.

The result means Cristian Chivu's side will play either Atalanta or Lazio in next month's final in Rome. The other semi-final remains level at 2-2 ahead of Wednesday's second leg.

For Como, the defeat ended hopes of reaching the cup final for the first time. The club had been playing in Italy's third tier as recently as 2019, when it was acquired by tobacco giant Djarum.

Inter keep double hopes alive

Inter remain in contention for both the league and cup double. According to the match report, they are almost certain to win Serie A, holding a 12-point advantage over AC Milan and Napoli with five matches left in the league campaign.

Calhanoglu said the turnaround had not come easily against a side capable of causing problems.

"I had a bit of luck but I'm pleased we managed to turn it around. Como make it difficult because they know how to play", Calhanoglu told Mediaset in an interview that was interrupted several times by Marcus Thuram dancing as fans chanted his name.

"The league and cup are our two goals, we need to make sure we close out the Scudetto as soon as possible", he added.

Como had strong backing in Milan, with more than 4,000 supporters making the short trip from their lakeside homes. Their team looked set for a famous result after Baturina's opener and Da Cunha's finish early in the second half.

But Inter's late pressure eventually broke the visitors, with Calhanoglu central to the turnaround and Sucic applying the finishing touch that preserved the club's hopes of ending the season with two major domestic trophies.