Champions Napoli down Inter at Stadio Maradona

Champions Napoli down Inter at Stadio Maradona

Champions Napoli down Inter Milan as the Nerazzurri drop to the fourth spot. Inter had to work hard after going down to 10 men for more than 50 minutes as Roberto Gagliardini committed silly challenges. The Nerazzurri were always chasing the game after conceding the first goal. They are just two points above their city rivals AC Milan in Serie A and have to prepare for Coppa Italia and Champions League finals.

Inzaghi had to make several changes keeping the Coppa Italia finals in mind. Also, players were exhausted after the semi-final clash, which was evident during the start. Inter had to work off the ball a lot and were looking less organized with their changed lineup. Anguissa had a chance on the turn after receiving a heavy pass. But the Cameroonian midfielder could not control his volley. Inter grew in the game slowly but could not make a difference.

The Nerazzurri suffered a major blow as Gagliardini was late with his challenge on Anguissa. The Italian midfielder got several warnings after his first yellow. But the referee had to send him off after committing another foul. The Nerazzurri then had to move back and rely on the counters. Lukaku and Barella had a nice combination towards the end of the half, but the Belgian striker could not find the target.

Champions Napoli down Inter
Image Credits: inter.it

Champions Napoli down 10-men Inter Milan 3-1

Inzaghi decided not to make any changes at half-time and instructed to drop deep. Napoli continued their domination, and were looking to push their number 8’s between the lines. Inzaghi then decided to bring Brozovic and Acerbi to give more strength in the defense.

Napoli were slowly wearing down Inter’s defense. Onana swiftly pushed away Khvicha’s effort from the edge of the box. But the Cameroonian keeper could not save Anguissa’s volley. Onana’s international teammate again received the pass and fired his volley on the turn. This time with precision, Onana could not react with the players ahead of him. Inzaghi was late with his substitutions this time and he brought Dimarco for Correa to give more cover. The Nerazzurri found their equalizer in the blink of an eye, as Dimarco whipped in a low cross and Lukaku was in the box to find the back of the net.

However, Inter’s hope for a comeback was short-lived as Napoli restored their lead with a stunner from their captain. Di Lorenzo produced a stunner with his weak foot. Inter were then pushing up, despite the risk of getting punished on the counter. Gaetano sealed the game as Inter had only De Vrij back, and Simeone played across to Gaetano to make it 3-1.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *