Dimarco is back: after a six-month drought, here's the goal that inspired Inter.

The son of Inter who made San Siro roar doesn't flex his muscles after a goal, he doesn't have the distinguishing features of a predestined player, and he isn't a striker by trade. Yet, Inter and its fans were waiting for nothing else, because the return of Federico Dimarco, the real Dimarco, had all the makings of a huge, eagerly awaited event: a goal to spark the Nerazzurri's resurgence , to reconcile with the past and look to the future with great confidence, and Inter has restarted together with its platinum arrow. If you're looking for a bridge between the old Inter and the new direction led by Chivu, look to the left and you'll find the answer: Dimarco is the guarantor of the transition.

He hadn't scored a goal in six months , ever since that Maradonian free kick in the stadium named after the great Diego that had given Inter hope in their Scudetto-winning showdown with Napoli in March, before Billing showed up to spoil the party. Dimarco had been sidelined in that match with a muscle problem, and since his return to the pitch, he'd been gritting his teeth. Federico has carried that fatigue with him this season, too, and then came a couple of his signature bursts of momentum: a compass assist for Thuram, as a substitute, in the Derby d'Italia, as perfect as it was useless, and the game-winning goal against Sassuolo , crucial in securing their second league victory. A perfect evening, coming after the comments in Amsterdam that seemed to herald a comeback: "As long as the criticism is constructive, I listen to everything, but I don't like it when it gets personal because sometimes it goes too far," he said after the 2-0 win over Ajax in the Champions League. "I have a clear conscience, I always try to give my all for this shirt and I listen to Chivu's advice." "It was important to win and we're happy," he said yesterday. "We made two missteps, but the championship is long. We need to think game by game and keep working like this." Counting on the hot foot of Dimarco, who since returning to the Nerazzurri family in 2021-22, among full-backs and midfielders, is the player who has been involved in the most goals in Serie A: 35 , including 16 goals and 19 assists. Fede is back. Or maybe he never left?