It ends with no winners or losers the awaited big match between Inter and Napoli who drew 1-1 in the Sunday postponement of the 12th matchday of Serie A played at the ‘Meazza’ stadium in Milan. The guests took the lead with McTominay in the 23rd minute, but Calhanoglu responded in the 43rd minute. The Turk himself has a great chance to complete the comeback but in the 74th minute he misses a penalty by kicking it towards the post. In the standings the Azzurri remain at the top with 26 points, one more than the quartet made up of the Nerazzurri together with Atalanta, Lazio and Fiorentina and two more than Juventus.
The match
The home team started strong at the start, pushing and forcing the Azzurri onto the defensive. The first ring of the match came from Calhanoglu with a shot from outside the area in the 8th minute, which was deflected for a corner by the visiting defence. In the quarter of an hour the much booed ex Lukaku serves Kvaratskhelia, the Georgian arrives at the shot, deflected, which Sommer manages to neutralize. In the 17th minute, a chance for Inter: Pavard enters the center right of the area and can shoot on goal, but Buongiorno is very good at closing. In the 22nd minute, Inter’s pressing led Barella to shoot from the edge: a difficult shot hit on the fly and the ball not far to Meret’s right. A minute later Conte’s team took the lead with McTominay. Kvaratskhelia crosses from the left, low and tense, on the center-left of the area. Rrahmani anticipates everyone and extends it into the middle where the Scotsman is located who only has to turn on goal from a few steps.
In the 36th minute the Neapolitans were close to doubling their lead. Sensational error by Calhanoglu who literally serves the ball to Napoli and launches the counterattack: Lukaku manages the ball centrally and looks for the through ball for Kvaratskhelia, anticipated right at the last minute by Acerbi, who prevents the goal. In the 40th minute, Acerbi made an incursion into the area, well unmarked by Barella on the left: his left-footed shot was blocked by Meret with his feet. The equalizer was only postponed for 3 minutes and came thanks to Calhanoglu. The Turk takes aim from 25 meters and shoots with the right foot from the midfielder, slightly off-centre to the left, a very violent ball that goes under the crossbar: 1-1.
In the 3rd minute of the second half Dumfries spreads wide on the opposite flank and crosses from the left to Lautaro in the center of the area: very difficult control on the run, with the Napoli defense closing with Olivera. In the 7th minute Dimarco collects a cross sent away by the Napoli defense at the limit: left-footed, tight and low to the near post to the left of Meret, ball to the outside post. In the quarter of an hour, first substitution for Conte: Lobotka comes on, Gilmour comes out.
In the 23rd minute Meret saves from Dimarco. Left-footed diagonally from the left of the Nerazzurri’s 32 area, the Azzurri goalkeeper responds and saves. In the 29th minute referee Mariani awarded a penalty to the home team for a foul in the area by Anguissa on Dumfries. From 11 meters Calhanoglu angles the shot too much and hits the post. It is Calhanoglu’s first penalty error with Inter, after 19 scored out of 19 kicked. It is also his first mistake in Serie A, after 17 consecutive conversions in the league.
In the 32nd minute Lukaku leaves amidst boos from his former fans and Simeone enters. In the 35th minute yellow for Dumfries for a late challenge on Politano. After two minutes, triple substitution for Inzaghi: Zielinski, Darmian and Taremi on for Calhanoglu, Dimarco and Thuram. Conte inserts Ngonge for Politano. In the 44th minute Inter ran out of substitutions with Arnautovic and de Vrij coming on for Lautaro and Bastoni. The last thrill of the match was in full recovery. Low cross from the right by Ngonge who finds Simeone: complicated turn in the middle of the area, with the ball coming out just over.