Serie A

The Nerazzurri’s march towards their 21st title

From a summer of change to clear dominance: Inter’s journey to the Scudetto, sealed against Parma

Inter have been crowned Italian champions. With their victory over Parma at San Siro, Cristian Chivu’s side have mathematically secured the 21st Scudetto in the club’s history, their second in the last three seasons, wrapping up the title race with three games to spare. A triumph built step by step, driven by a clear technical project and steady growth that have made the Nerazzurri the most complete team in the division.

After finishing second in the league and suffering the disappointment of defeat in the Champions League final against PSG, Inter turned the page by appointing Cristian Chivu as head coach. Previously a coach in the Nerazzurri youth setup, he returned after his first Serie A experience with Parma.

He took charge of a group that was already strong and successful, largely inherited from the Inzaghi era, and further strengthened with targeted additions: Akanji in defence, Luis Enrique, Sučić and Diouf in midfield, while Bonny and Pio Esposito added freshness and new options in attack.

The impact was immediate and emphatic: a 5-0 win over Torino in Chivu’s first Serie A match in the Nerazzurri dugout, a clear statement of intent. But the season was anything but plain sailing early on: two consecutive setbacks followed, both after surrendering leads, against Udinese and Juventus. Two different matches, but the same script, testing the team’s mental resilience as they found themselves six points behind leaders Napoli and Juventus.

It was the first real challenge of the season, and Inter responded like a top side: four consecutive wins against Sassuolo, Cagliari, Cremonese and Roma put Lautaro Martínez and his teammates back on track. The schedule then brought a big showdown at the Maradona against reigning champions Napoli. It ended 3-1 to the Partenopei, who moved top alongside Roma, but once again the Nerazzurri reacted immediately: three straight wins over Fiorentina, Verona and Lazio sent Inter back to the summit, level on points with Roma.

The derby defeat against AC Milan, decided by a Pulisic goal, represented another potentially destabilising moment. Instead, it sparked a reaction that brought the group together and allowed them to move forward with full confidence in their abilities. Between 30 November 2025 and 28 February 2026, the Nerazzurri went on an impressive run: 15 consecutive matches without defeat, with just one draw – 2-2 against Napoli in the return fixture at San Siro.

This was the period in which Inter pulled clear and took full control of the league. The Nerazzurri claimed top spot on matchday 15 in Genoa and held it for the rest of the season. The team’s football grew more cohesive, and the numbers confirmed their dominance: a prolific attack, a solid defence, and a level of consistency that left no room for their rivals to respond.

On 15 January 2026, with a win over Lecce in the rescheduled match from matchday 16, Inter were crowned winter champions, putting an early symbolic stamp on their season.

Chivu’s Inter thrived on their collective strength. Lautaro Martínez led a reliable and lethal attack, but it was the system as a whole that made the difference. Dimarco’s crosses and attacking play became a constant threat, while Zieliński stepped up in midfield alongside Barella, Calhanoglu and Mkhitaryan. At the back, the arrival of Akanji completed an already solid defensive unit featuring Bastoni, De Vrij and Bisseck.

In mid-February, a symbolic victory arrived: a 3-2 win over Juventus, sealed by Zieliński in the 90th minute – a big result in a major fixture.

Inter slipped to another derby defeat against AC Milan, but the cushion they had built allowed them to absorb the blow, with Allegri’s men seven points adrift. Two draws against Atalanta and Fiorentina slowed their momentum, but the Rossoneri were unable to take full advantage, closing the gap by just one point. In the big Easter clash against Roma, the league leaders ran out emphatic 5-2 winners. The turning point came around half-time, with Calhanoglu scoring on the stroke of the interval and Martínez striking early in the second half – two moments that effectively decided the match. Behind them, Napoli overtook AC Milan to move within seven points, but it was the following matchday that proved decisive. The real sliding door moment of the title run-in came at the Sinigaglia against Como, in a rollercoaster of a match in which Inter went behind, struggled, but turned it around to win 4-3. It was the victory that effectively put the Scudetto race beyond doubt.

From there on, the Nerazzurri kept pushing forward: a win over Cagliari, a draw with Torino, and then victory over Parma at a packed and jubilant San Siro.