Inter vs Napoli Review
Scott McTominay scored twice to helped Napoli recover from a deficit to secure a 2-2 draw against Inter Milan in an exciting match at the top of Serie A, marking the fourth draw in the last five head-to-head encounters between these teams. Gli Azzurri started the game positively but fell behind in the ninth minute. Stanislav Lobotka’s risky pass allowed Piotr Zieliński to take the ball from McTominay, initiating a move that ended with Marcus Thuram passing to Federico Dimarco, who struck a precise shot that hit the inside of the post and went in.
Inter continued to press with impressive teamwork, creating a chance for Lautaro Martínez, whose poorly struck shot was easily saved by Vanja Milinković-Savić, just before Hakan Çalhanoğlu fired an ambitious but off-target effort. After enduring that pressure without sustaining further damage, Napoli responded with a well-executed goal in the 26th minute. McTominay reached Matteo Politano’s low cross ahead of Manuel Akanji and finished expertly with a first-time shot. McTominay then quickly dispossessed Zieliński with a solo press but had his shot saved by Yann Sommer. Although initially shaken by the equalizer, Inter pushed forward again before halftime, with Zieliński’s powerful shot hitting Martínez, and chances for Thuram and Yann Bissek as well.
Early in the second half, Napoli had two significant opportunities, Rasmus Højlund’s shot narrowly missed the post, and Giovanni Di Lorenzo mishandled a header. Nicolò Barella fired a speculative shot off target, while both Højlund and Çalhanoğlu had long-range attempts blocked at opposite ends. Inter had a chance to take the lead in the 73rd minute when Amir Rrahmani stepped on Henrikh Mkhitaryan’s foot, resulting in a penalty. Antonio Conte’s angry reaction to the decision earned him a red card, and Çalhanoğlu added to Inter’s frustration by sending his penalty kick off the post.
Their advantage lasted only eight minutes, as Noa Lang redirected Politano’s cross into a threatening position for McTominay to net his second equalizing goal of the match. In stoppage time, Mkhitaryan struck the post with a deflected shot, and Napoli secured their second consecutive draw, allowing them to regain third place. Although the goal ended I Nerazzurri’s six-match winning streak in Serie A, they remain at the top of the standings with a three-point lead.
