The final curtain fell on the 2023-24 Serie A regular season for Inter Milan on Saturday, as a rotated Nerazzurri side played out a thrilling six-goal 3-3 draw against Bologna at Bologna’s Stadio Renato Dall’Ara. The match carried no competitive stakes for either side: Inter had already locked up both the Scudetto and Italian Cup weeks earlier, while Bologna had no remaining path to qualify for continental European competition in the 2024-25 season.
With multiple Inter stars set to join their national squads for the upcoming World Cup, interim head coach Cristian Chivu opted to rest key first-team players including Hakan Calhanoglu, Manuel Akanji, Marcus Thuram and Denzel Dumfries, granting the group an additional week of vacation ahead of their international duty. Captain Lautaro Martínez was named in the starting lineup, however, as the Argentine striker looked to build match fitness following a recent spell on the injury list.
The pre-match spotlight fell on Federico Dimarco, who was officially presented with the Serie A Most Valuable Player award ahead of kickoff. The Inter left midfielder marked the honor in spectacular fashion, opening the scoring just minutes into the contest with a blistering 25-yard free-kick that curled into the top right corner of Bologna’s net.
Bologna responded quickly, drawing level just three minutes later via Federico Bernardeschi. The hosts then turned the scoreline in their favor shortly before halftime, when Tommaso Pobega’s volley took two fortunate deflections past Inter’s goalkeeper. Early in the second half, Bologna extended their lead when Inter midfielder Piotr Zieliński accidentally turned a cross into his own net, putting Chivu’s side on track for a defeat in their final outing.
The young, rotated Inter side did not let the deficit stand, however. In the 64th minute, Pio Esposito cut the gap, tapping home a rebound after Andy Diouf’s initial shot crashed off the goalpost. Diouf completed the comeback 12 minutes before full time, slotting home to level the match at 3-3, where the score stayed until the final whistle.
Saturday’s fixture was the only Serie A final-round match played this weekend before the full conclusion of the campaign. Lazio was scheduled to face already-relegated Pisa later Saturday, and the remaining 18 clubs will wrap up their seasons on Sunday evening. The final matchday still holds high stakes for multiple sides: four top clubs are locked in a tight battle for the two remaining UEFA Champions League qualification spots, while two teams are fighting to avoid the second relegation spot left to fill this term.