SSC Napoli has regained the lead in Serie A – but at a high price. During the 3-1 victory over rival Inter, De Bruyne was injured while taking a penalty kick.
On the evening before the top match in Serie A, there was positive news for both teams. Leaders Milan could only manage a 2-2 draw against Pisa, meaning that the winner would be rewarded with the top spot in the table.
At first, the importance of the game was evident to both teams. Neither wanted to make any mistakes and therefore did not take any risks. Nevertheless, that is exactly what happened: shortly after Bastoni missed the chance to make it 1-0 from a corner (9th minute), Spinazzola’s deflected pass landed at Martinez’s feet in the penalty area. However, the captain failed to beat Milinkovic-Savic (15th minute).
Inter fail to capitalize on period of pressure
After around 20 minutes, the hosts, who had replaced Juan Jesus, David Neres Beukema, and Lucca on the bench compared to the 2-6 defeat to PSV Eindhoven, began to appear more frequently in the final third. The Tifosi were promptly given something to cheer about. De Bruyne converted a penalty awarded against di Lorenzo after Mkhitaryan, who was injured in the incident, had won it. However, the Belgian paid dearly for the 1-0 lead: he immediately grabbed his right hamstring and left the pitch with support because he could no longer put weight on his leg.
Inter, who had started with six new players after their 4-0 win in Saint-Gilles, then pushed forward and created numerous chances. However, Bastoni (who headed the ball onto the crossbar in the 41st minute), Calhanoglu (45+1), Martinez (45+2), and Dumfries (who nodded the ball onto the post in the 45+3) all failed to equalize, allowing the Neapolitans to hold onto their lead going into the break.
McTominay scores with a spectacular goal
Conte’s team showed much more composure on the night. After their second chance, the ball ended up in the back of the net. This time, McTominay scored with a spectacular volley (54′). However, the 2-0 lead did not last long, as Buongiorno handled the ball in his own penalty area, blocking Martinez’s header with his elbow. Calhanoglu made no mistake from the spot (59′).
However, the excitement was short-lived: Zambo Anguissa demonstrated his impressive physicality and made an unstoppable run to the edge of the box, from where he beat Sommer (66′). It was the decisive moment, because the goal had an effect on Inter. Chivu’s team failed to build on their dangerous attacking play from the final minutes of the first half. As a result, the score remained 3-1, allowing Napoli to leapfrog the two Milan clubs at the top of the table.
Both teams are back in action this week. Napoli travel to Lecce on Tuesday (6:30 p.m.), while Inter host Fiorentina (8:45 p.m.).
