For the very first time in Serie A this season, Inter conceded a goal in the final 15 minutes of a match and the points were shared in a 1-1 draw with Napoli at the Giuseppe Meazza on Sunday evening.
Coming off a defeat on penalties to Atlético Madrid in the UEFA Champions League round of 16, Inter was looking to get back on track and continue their domination of Serie A. With no rotation, Simone Inzaghi was interested in making a statement.
Inter lined up as follows (3-5-2): Sommer; Pavard, Acerbi, Bastoni; Darmian, Barella, Çalhanoğlu, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco; Thuram, Lautaro Martínez.
Napoli lined up as follows (4-3-3): Meret; Di Lorenzo, Rrahmani, Jesus, Olivera; Anguissa, Lobotka, Traorè; Politano, Raspadori, Kvaratskhelia.
The first half was relatively quiet for either side. The first chance of the match for Inter came in the 13th minute of play. A cross to Matteo Darmian saw the Italian defender’s header saved, Lautaro Martínez was able to reach the rebound but Napoli goalkeeper, Alex Meret, was able to save as well. The final rebound bounced for Nicolò Barella, but the midfielder was unable to find the target.
In the 43rd minute, a great team move starting from Yann Sommer, finding Lautaro Martínez and eventually making its way over to Alessandro Bastoni on the left side, ended up with Matteo Darmian slotting home in the middle of the box! A fantastic team play, involving several players and finishing in the back of the net.
Within a few minutes of the second half kicking off, substitute Yann Bisseck won the ball in the middle of the pitch. His pass fell to Henrikh Mkhitaryan, who put Lautaro Martínez through on goal. Inter’s captain was denied by a strong save from Alex Meret again.
In the 81st minute of play, Napoli had a corner kick. Matteo Politano’s cross was nodded on to Juan Jesus, who was able to find the back of the net using his head. This was the first time Inter had conceded a goal in the final 15 minutes of a match in Serie A this season.
A quiet match and the spoils shared between both sides, here is how we have rated the Inter performers on the night.
Player Ratings
Yann Sommer – 6
Not called into action very much. Gave away the ball with his distribution a few times. Could not do much about the Napoli goal.
Benjamin Pavard – 6.5
Did well to contain Kvaratskhelia in the first half. Got an unfortunate yellow card which saw him substituted at the half.
Francesco Acerbi – 6
Made several rash challenges throughout the match and was surprised he was not given a caution. Could have been more organized on the equalizer.
Alessandro Bastoni – 7
Another fantastic performance, defensively and offensively. Registered back-to-back Serie A assists.
Matteo Darmian – 7
Scored a fantastic goal and could have even had another earlier in the match.
Nicolò Barella – 6
Very active all over the pitch and very involved, but has gotten in scoring positions lately that he has always failed to convert.
Hakan Çalhanoğlu – 6.5
A performance that went under the radar. Did well to create chances and remain defensively solid.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan – 6
Created a golden opportunity for Lautaro to extend Inter’s lead. His fatigue is showing and it is evident that he needs a rest, many misplaced passes.
Federico Dimarco – 6.5
Held his own while marking Matteo Politano, a tricky winger, and was very active on offense. Crosses not particularly strong but had a decent shot that tested Meret in the second half.
Marcus Thuram – 5.5
Did well to hold up play and drop deep to receive the ball, but his finishing has disappeared. Very poor in front of goal and this has been the case for the past few matches.
Lautaro Martínez (C) – 5.5
Had several chances but unable to convert. Both of Inter’s forwards in a rut at the moment.
Substitutes
Yann Bisseck – 6
Entered at halftime for Benjamin Pavard and showed enthusiasm, often getting forward in attack.
Davide Frattesi – 6
Not particularly involved.
Alexis Sánchez – 5.5
Not involved whatsoever, four touches in 11 minutes.
Denzel Dumfries – 5
Lost his man leading to the equalizer.
Tajon Buchanan – N/A
Entered in the final minutes, did not play enough to be able to be rated.
