MY ACCOUNT
Inter held on to top spot in Serie A after coming from behind to claim a 1-1 draw at second-placed Napoli on Saturday.
Lorenzo Insigne gave the hosts the lead from the penalty spot after just seven minutes at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.
But the reigning champions equalised inside a minute in the second half as Edin Dzeko fired in only his third league goal since October.
Although Napoli looked the more likely to find a winner, they missed the opportunity to displace their opponents at the summit.
Inter had kept a clean sheet in each of their previous four away games in Serie A, but they were breached early on when Insigne confidently swept home from 12 yards after the VAR ruled Stefan de Vrij had fouled Victor Osimhen.
Although forced into an early change as Matteo Politano limped off injured, Napoli continued to carry the greater threat going forward.
Piotr Zielinski hit the post from distance, while Osimhen and Insigne also went close to doubling the lead.
Aiming to avoid suffering back-to-back league defeats for the first time since March 2020 following last weekend’s Derby della Madonnina reverse against Milan, Inter looked to respond with Dzeko heading straight at David Ospina from close range.
And there was no denying Inter’s number nine just after the restart. He slammed in off the underside of the crossbar after an initial cross ricocheted kindly into his path.
Napoli went close to regaining the lead as Samir Handanovic produced smart reflexes to deny Osimhen and Eljif Elmas, but the sides could not be separated as the title race remains too close to call.
What does it mean? Opportunity knocks for Milan
Neither side could capitalise and claim maximum points in a generally balanced contest – although Napoli registered 13 shots to Inter’s eight.
They have subsequently opened the door for Milan, who will go one point clear at the top of the table with victory at home to Sampdoria on Sunday.
Koulibaly composed
Returning from leading Senegal to Africa Cup of Nations glory, Kalidou Koulibaly produced another assured performance at the heart of the hosts’ defence to keep Inter at bay for large periods of the contest.
Indeed, he registered game-high tallies of five interceptions, three tackles and two clearances, while no Napoli player gained possession more times (seven).
Lacklustre Lautaro
Lautaro Martinez has scored four Serie A goals against Napoli, only netting more against Cagliari (six) in the competition.
However, the Inter forward has now failed to score in his past six league matches after a disappointing display here. His 28 touches and 21 passes were the fewest recorded by any Nerazzurri starter.
Key Opta Facts
– Inter saw an end to their 440-minute stretch without conceding a single goal away from home in Serie A.
– Napoli have taken the most penalties in Europe’s big five leagues this season (10), with Insigne the player to have taken the most (nine).
– Insigne (116 goals) has overtaken Diego Maradona (115) as the third-highest scorer in Napoli’s history in all competitions.
– Insigne has scored each of his six goals in Serie A this season from the penalty spot.
– Since his Serie A debut in 2015-16, Dzeko has scored five league goals against Napoli. Only Ciro Immobile (six) has netted more against them in this time.
What’s next?
Both sides are in European action in midweek. Inter host Liverpool in the Champions League on Wednesday, with Napoli travelling to Barcelona in the Europa League the following day.
