The Japan Times - Inter roar back in five-goal thriller with Napoli

"I'm happy we managed to fight back, that was missing last year," Martinez told DAZN. "Every year we are raising the bar and trying to shout that on the pitch."

Both goalkeepers were forced into early saves in a sign of what was to come in an end-to-end encounter that remained goalless at half-time after Federico Dimarco's free-kick rattled the Napoli cross bar.

The game exploded in the second half when Matteo Politano guided home a shot in the 50th minute before Rasmus Hojlund's curler doubled the Napoli lead three minutes later.

The visitors impressed despite the injury-enforced absence of influential midfielder Scott McTominay.

Inter responded almost immediately when Martinez hammered in his first goal of the season from a Dimarco cross. Substitute Marcus Thuram came agonisingly close to a leveller when he headed off the post.

The France international would not be denied twice, though, and smashed a towering header past Alex Meret in the 82nd minute to level the scores.

Chances fell at both ends before Martinez's penalty box instincts proved decisive in the 91st minute as Napoli failed to clear in a goalmouth scramble and the Argentina striker pounced to settle an extraordinary match.

Martinez was part of the Argentina squad that reached the World Cup final on July 19.

"The important thing is to get back into shape, it isn't easy coming back from the World Cup without doing the preparation," said Martinez.

The result sent Inter top of the table on nine points, while Napoli remained on three points. Both sides begin their Champions League campaigns next week, when Inter travel to Real Madrid and Napoli host Arsenal on Tuesday.

Earlier, a late Che Adams strike sealed a 2-1 comeback win for Torino as Fiorentina's nightmare start to the season continued.

Mateo Pellegrino's long-range strike put Fiorentina in front early in the second half, but a pile-driver from Rolando Mandragora – who had only joined Torino from La Viola four days earlier – drew the scores level.

Scotland international Adams sealed his side's first points of the season in the 82nd minute, plucking a cross out of the air and flicking it in from close range to stun the Stadio Artemio Franchi crowd.

Fiorentina signed 13 players and appointed new coach Fabio Grosso over the summer after a humbling 15th-place finish last season.

The two-time Italian champions have lost their first three games by an aggregate score of 9-1, and were booed off by their own fans following a performance that left them in last place. Gian Piero Gasperini faces his former club when Roma host Atalanta in the final game of the day.

H.Hayashi--JT