Inter claimed a surprisingly comfortable 2-0 win over Napoli last night, thanks to goals from Danilo D’Ambrosio and Lautaro Martinez.
The Nerazzurri have won back-to-back games and without conceding in their last two, placing them a point ahead of Atalanta and four ahead of Lazio (who have a game in hand) going into the final round of fixtures this weekend as Inter travel to Atalanta.
Last night posed a good victory too, albeit against a Napoli side missing Dries Mertens, Kostas Manolas, and Fernando Llorente. Inter would don their all-new kits for this fixture and they got the opener when Cristiano Biraghi found D’Ambrosio inside the box who slotted home with ease.
The goal came after 11 minutes and it looked as though Gennaro Gattuso’s make-shift Napoli side would struggle against Antonio Conte’s Inter, but the Naples side fought back. Both Piotr Zielinski and Lorenzo Insigne had first-half chances, but they couldn’t find a way past a stubborn Samir Handanovic in goal.
But as well as Inter defended, they attacked with just as much force. Romelu Lukaku almost turned provider for Marcelo Brozovic who was denied from close range by Napoli keeper Alex Meret.
Controversy after the restart saw VAR dismiss handball claims against Inter’s Antonio Candreva, with Napoli again threatening to equalize with Elif Elmas this time. But with Napoli pushing hard for the equalizer it left them open at the back, with substitute Lautaro Martinez finding the second of the night.
It was a fine goal as well, finishing into the bottom-corner from range and leaving Meret with no chance as Inter opened up a staggering 20-point gap to 7th-place Napoli, but just a one point gap on 3rd-place Atalanta.
Inter could’ve sealed the win through Nicolò Barella but it would finish 2-0, leaving Napoli on the back of consecutive away defeats – three without winning.
Gattuso would’ve been frustrated with how his side allowed the second goal of the game. At 1-0 it was an open affair and one which, if a goal had gone Napoli’s way, could’ve finished as a win for either side.
But Inter go into their final game against Atalanta with it all to play for, and Conte will be hoping for a solid showing that sets his side up for a more sustained title-bid next season.
MATCH REPORT
July 28, 2020 – Serie A 2019-2020 Round 37
INTER-NAPOLI 2-0
SCORERS: 11′ D’Ambrosio, 73′ Lautaro Martinez
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INTER (3-4-1-2): Handanovic; D’Ambrosio, De Vrij, Bastoni; Candreva (60′ Godin), Barella, Brozovic, Biraghi (79′ Young); Borja Valero (88′ Eriksen); Lukaku (88′ Moses), Sanchez (60′ Lautaro Martinez) (Padelli, Berni, Agoume, Esposito, Pirola, Ranocchia, Skriniar) Coach: Conte |
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NAPOLI (4-3-3): Meret; Hysaj (83′ Malcuit), Maksimovic, Koulibaly, Mario Rui (64′ Ghoulam); Demme, Elmas, Zielinski (64′ Allan); Politano (75′ Lozano), Milik (83′ Callejon) (Ospina, Karnezis, Di Lorenzo, Lobotka, Luperto, Fabian Ruiz, Younes) Coach: Gattuso |
REFEREE: Mr. Valeri from Roma
NOTES: Yellow Cards: Brozovic, Barella, Biraghi, Sanchez (I), Lozano (N); Extra Time: 4′, 2nd Half 6′