Inter Milan, the frontrunners in Serie A, were held to a 1-1 draw by Napoli at home on Sunday. Matteo Darmian opened the scoring for the hosts in the first half, but a late header from Juan Jesus ensured Napoli salvaged a point.
This result halted Inter’s impressive streak of 10 consecutive Serie A victories, yet they maintain their commanding position atop the league table with 76 points. They now hold a 14-point lead over AC Milan, who sit in second place after 29 matches. Meanwhile, Napoli currently occupies the seventh position with 45 points.
The match saw Inter dominating early proceedings, with goalkeeper Alex Meret denying Darmian and Lautaro Martinez in the opening exchanges. Napoli suffered a setback as their key striker Victor Osimhen was sidelined due to a muscle injury, leading to struggles in the attacking department against Inter’s resolute defense.
Inter broke the deadlock just before halftime as Alessandro Bastoni’s cross found Darmian unmarked in the box, who finished with precision.
Despite Inter’s control, their defense faltered in the 81st minute when Napoli capitalized on a deflected corner, allowing Jesus to head home the equalizer.
Reflecting on the match, Inter manager Simone Inzaghi expressed some disappointment, acknowledging Napoli’s quality but lamenting a “naive error” that cost them victory. With nine games remaining in the season, Inzaghi emphasized the importance of maintaining concentration to secure their title bid.
On the other side, Napoli coach Francesco Calzona praised his team’s performance against the league leaders, highlighting their effort despite falling short. Calzona expressed satisfaction with Napoli’s resurgence and their attempts to secure a victory until the final whistle.
Calzona also mentioned his upcoming duties as Slovakia coach during the international break, expressing confidence in his staff to manage Napoli in his absence.
In other Serie A action, AS Roma secured a crucial 1-0 victory over Sassuolo in their pursuit of a top-four finish. Lorenzo Pellegrini’s superb strike earned Roma three valuable points, narrowing the gap to fourth-placed Bologna to just three points.
Meanwhile, Atalanta’s fixture against Fiorentina was postponed following a medical emergency involving Fiorentina director Joe Barone. The match will be rescheduled as Barone’s condition remains critical but stable.