Inter Milan drop Napoli in Serie A
All great series have an end. By losing for the first time this season in the League (2-3) against Inter Milan at San Siro, this Sunday, Naples saw their streak of 21 games unbeaten in Serie A come to an end.
In the shock of this 13th day, the best attack in the Championship took over the best defense. Despite the Neapolitan efficiency, which converted two of its three shots on target for the evening, the Interists, reigning champions, were able to impose their rhythm and be authoritarian, whether in the game, the intensity, or the duels.
Osimhen comes out injured
Hakan Calhanoglu, the Milanese master of set pieces, converted a penalty (1-1, 25th), after a loose hand from Kalidou Koulibaly in the area, before dropping the ball at the near post on the head of Ivan Perisic (2-1, 44th) on a corner. Lautaro Martinez (3-1, 61st), of a counter-attack pattern triggered by Joaquin Correa, then widened the gap, before Dries Mertens (3-2, 78th) sowed doubt at the end of the match.
Earlier, Piotr Zielinski opened the scoring for Napoli (0-1, 17th) with an outside right foot entering the area, landing in the top corner of Samir Handanovic.
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No team is undefeated in the Championship this season, after the defeats of Naples (1-3, at Inter Milan) and AC Milan (3-4, at Fiorentina) this weekend.
Exceeded, Naples could have returned in the last moments of the meeting, including eight unbreathable minutes of added time, which must have seemed very long for the Milanese. Handanovic was decisive by coming out of an exceptional parade on his line to take out a header from Mario Rui (90th + 1). Mertens also had the ball of the equalizer at the end of the foot (90th + 7), but his volleying shot flew into the spans of the Giuseppe Meazza stadium.
Napoli, who also lost their striker Victor Osimhen, out (53rd) after a blow to the head received in a duel with Milan Skriniar, misses the opportunity to take alone the leader’s place in the standings, after the defeat of the AC Milan at Fiorentina (3-4), Saturday. Conversely, Inter Milan are back in the title race, four small points behind the leading duo.