The expected clash between the defending champions and leaders Inter and its host Napoli ended in a 1-1 draw on Saturday in the twenty-fifth stage of the Italian Football League, which opened the door for Milan to seize the leadership from its neighbor, provided that it beat its guest, Sampdoria, on Sunday.
After his dramatic loss in the last stage against his neighbor Milan 1-2 in a match during which he was ahead until the last quarter of an hour before he conceded two goals within three minutes, their French champion Olivier Giroud, Inter finds himself threatened to give up the lead after being satisfied Saturday with this tie with its host Napoli. Who did not take advantage of his advantage and opportunities in this battle in order to seize the lead from Niratsuri.
The difference between the defending champion and Napoli remained one point (54 to 53), in the hope that Sampdoria would do a logically excluded service by defeating Milan on Sunday at the “San Siro”.
It is true that Inter quickly regained its balance after falling in the derby by reaching the semi-finals of the Cup at the expense of Roma (2-0), but it faced a difficult task on Saturday at the Diego Armando Maradona stadium against a team coming from four consecutive victories.
Coach Simone Inzaghi was suspended from Inter for attacking the referee in the derby match, with a fine of 15,000 euros.
Inter defender Alessandro Bastoni was also banned for two matches for insulting the referee on more than one occasion in the match, but he was already injured in the cup match against Roma, regardless of the suspension.
On the other hand, Napoli coach Luciano Spalletti restored Senegalese Kalidou Coulibaly (started) and Cameroonian Andre-Frank Zambo (entered in the last quarter of an hour) after their return to Italy after their participation in the African Nations Cup, which culminated in Senegal, while Nigerian Victor Osimhen preceded them after leaving. early for his country.
This disappointing draw for the two sides comes before a busy week for them, as Inter is invited to face Liverpool on Wednesday at home in the first leg of the Champions League final, while Napoli travels to Spain to meet Barcelona on Thursday in the playoffs of the “Europe League” competition.
Insigne beats Maradona
And he struck Napoli early, after he was awarded a penalty, which was confirmed by “VAR”, after the Nigerian Victor Osimhen was dropped in the forbidden area by a mistake by Dutchman Stephan de Vriy, so captain Lorenzo Insigne succeeded (7).
With this goal, Insigne, who decided to leave Napoli at the end of the season to defend the colors of Toronto in the American “MLS” League, ranked third on the list of the southern club’s best scorer in all competitions (116), after he shared it with the late Argentine legend Diego Maradona. 115), with the hope of reaching the second place before his departure, which is occupied by Slovakian Marek Hamsik (121), while the lead will be impossible with the presence of Belgian Dries Mertens, who leads with 144 goals.
Napoli was hit by an injury, Matteo Politano, who had to leave his place to North Macedonian Elif Elmas (26), without affecting the performance of the southern team, as he continued his field advantage and threat, while Inter waited until the 36th minute to score his first real chance with a header from Bosnian Edin Dzeko after a cross from Croatian Ivan Perisic, but Colombian goalkeeper David Ospina did not find it difficult to deal with the situation.
– “A point against Inter is a good point” – Inter came to life at the beginning of the second half when Dzeko gifted him the equalizer just two minutes after the start, after a ball he first failed to convert with the head, but he benefited from a fatal mistake by defender Giovanni Di Lorenzo to get a second chance. Including this time with a missile shot into the ceiling of the window (47).
The Bosnian raised his score to 10 goals in the league with the shirt of the team that he joined this summer from Roma.