Napoli 3-1 Inter Milan: National champion Napoli added to the supremacy in Italy on Sunday by beating Champions League finalist Internazionale: 3-1. The Milanese did themselves a disservice with the defeat in the battle for next season’s Champions League spots.
Champion Napoli hurts Internazionale
Stefan de Vrij started just like last week in the competition match with Sassuolo. Midweek, the Defender had to watch for ninety minutes during the semi-final of the Champions League against fellow townsman AC Milan (1-0).
In the first half, very little happened in Stadio Diego Armando Maradona. Both teams, who respectively scored seventy times (Napoli) and 66 times (Inter) before the mutual meeting, hardly had any chances. Andre Zambo Anguissa was the closest, but he shot the ball just wide of André Onana’s goal. Inter did not go to the dressing room unscathed, as Roberto Gagliardini had to be sent off just before half-time.
Second half
Inter held on in the second half – with one man less – for more than twenty minutes, after which the team of coach Simone Inzaghi capitulated. The shot from Anguissa’s turn was too powerful for Onana: 1-0. Barely fifteen minutes before the end, Napoli seemed to force the decision, but substitute Giovanni Simeone saw his goal rejected because a foul was committed on Dumfries in the run-up.
Shortly afterwards, Romelu Lukaku struck. The Belgian extended a cross from Federico Dimarco with the bottom of his right foot: 1-1. However, champion Napoli did not leave it at that and still forced a decision. Captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo’s left shot beautifully in the top corner on the instructions of goal scorer Anguissa: 2-1.
It got even worse for De Vrij, Dumfries and their teammates because Gianluca Gaetano scored the 3-1. The national champion took full advantage of Inter’s all-or-nothing attempt to get another point out of the fire. The Italian controlled the ball past Onana.
Due to the defeat, Inter feels the hot breath of Lazio and AC Milan in the battle for the Champions League places for next season. Competitor Lazio comes into action on Sunday evening, has to visit Udinese and can pass Inter in the ranking. AC Milan is two points behind the city rivals with two games to go.
