NEW DELHI:
Inter Milan
's commanding lead in
Serie A
was momentarily halted as they settled for a 1-1 draw against Napoli, with
Matteo Darmian
's first-half goal canceled out by
Juan Jesus
' late header.
Despite the draw, Inter maintains a significant 14-point lead over second-placed AC Milan, with Napoli currently sitting in seventh position with 45 points.
Inter displayed early dominance, with goalkeeper
Alex Meret
denying Darmian's diving header and subsequent attempt from
Lautaro Martinez
.
Napoli, missing key striker Victor Osimhen due to injury, struggled to break through Inter's sturdy defense.
Inter broke the deadlock just before halftime, with
Alessandro Bastoni
's cross finding Darmian unmarked in the box, who finished clinically to put the hosts ahead.
However, Inter's defensive solidity was breached in the 81st minute when Juan Jesus capitalized on a defensive lapse to head in the equalizer from a Napoli corner, denying Inter victory.
Expressing his disappointment, Inter manager Simone Inzaghi acknowledged the missed opportunity for victory, stating, "There is a little disappointment, especially considering how the game was going, we were up against the reigning Champions of Italy and Napoli have a lot of quality but unfortunately, we made a naive error that cost us the victory."
"There are nine games left, 27 points up for grabs, we must maintain concentration." Simone Inzaghi added.
Meanwhile, Napoli coach Francesco Calzona praised his team's performance against the league leaders, highlighting their resilience against a formidable opponent. "We are still a long way off Inter, but this is a side that had won 10 games in a row in Serie A, so it was an excellent performance," said Calzona.
"We tried until the end to win, it was tough because Inter put you on the ropes with their combinations. Perhaps we lacked a little sharpness, but I am still pleased. The team has found itself again."
Calzona also revealed his upcoming duties as Slovakia's coach during the international break, expressing confidence in his staff to manage Napoli in his absence.
"Members of staff will remain in Naples and I have full faith in them. There won’t be many players left behind either, but I get the images from the drone to follow their training sessions."
In other Serie A action,
AS Roma
secured a vital 1-0 win against Sassuolo, closing the gap to three points behind fourth-placed Bologna in the race for a top-four finish.
However, Atalanta's match against Fiorentina was postponed following the collapse of Fiorentina director Joe Barone. Barone's condition remains critical but stable, with the fixture to be rescheduled at a later date.
(Inputs from Reuters)
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