Como 1907 and Inter Milan played out a tense and tactical first leg in their Coppa Italia semi-final, settling for a goalless draw at the Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia after a midfield battle in which the visitors rotated heavily ahead of next Sunday’s Derby della Madonnina.
The encounter was largely decided in the middle of the park, with Inter displaying an unusually high turnover of possession and struggling to impose their usual attacking rhythm. Coach Christian Chivu opted to spare several key players with the crucial derby against AC Milan on the horizon, a decision that allowed Como to dominate possession for long spells in the opening half.
Making their first appearance in the Coppa Italia semi-finals since 1986, Como approached the match with confidence and patience in possession. The hosts controlled the tempo during the first period but initially found it difficult to translate their dominance into clear opportunities.
Their best moment before the break arrived in the 42nd minute when Mërgim Vojvoda beat two defenders before attempting an ambitious outside-of-the-boot effort that curled narrowly beyond the far post.
Inter, runaway leaders in Serie A, were largely passive before the interval. They managed only a single attempt and failed to register a shot on target as Como’s midfield structure disrupted their build-up play.
Within five minutes of the restart, the hosts squandered their clearest chance to take the lead. Hrvoje Smolčić drove down the byline and delivered a dangerous cross towards the near post, where Álex Valle arrived unmarked, but the Spaniard mistimed his connection, and the ball bounced wide, much to the relief of Inter goalkeeper Josep Martínez.
Inter introduced several substitutes in the second half and attempted to increase the tempo, yet they still failed to test Como goalkeeper Jean Butez seriously. Despite their greater urgency late on, the Nerazzurri lacked the cutting edge required to break the deadlock.
In the end, the stalemate reflected the cautious approach adopted by both teams, with neither side willing to take major risks ahead of the decisive second leg scheduled for late April.
Before then, attention returns to domestic league action. Inter remain comfortably clear at the top of Serie A and appear on course for the Scudetto, while Como continue to enjoy a remarkable campaign as they sit just three points outside the Champions League places.
