MILAN – In the late match of the 28th round of Serie A Tim fixtures, Inter returned to action against Napoli following the tragic passing of Davide Astori who was commemorated along with Gian Marco Morattti with a minute’s silence before kick-off. 60,000 fans were in attendance at San Siro for the 110th anniversary of the club. As in the reverse fixture, the match finished goalless after 90 intense minutes.
The first half was characterised by great balance on the pitch. Three minutes in, Insigne looked to surprise Handanovic with an effort from distance but the ball went wide. 15 minutes in, Callejon played the ball to Hamsik in the box but the Slovakian’s right-foot effort was weak and simple for the Nerazzurri’s goalkeeper to deal with. Hamsik tried again on 25 minutes with a left-foot strike from range that missed the target. Inter were in the match, fighting for every ball and caused a problem for Napoli on 37 minutes. Candreva received the ball from Rafinha, he cut in from the right and let fly with a powerful left-foot strike that went just wide of the post. Less than a minute later, Inter pushed forward again. Perisic won the ball high and delivered a weak cross that Koulibaly intercepted before Mauro Icardi could reach it. The sides therefore went into the break with the score goalless after a very tactical half played at a good rhythm by both sides.
The second half began with no changes for either side and Inter on the front foot. In fact, Inter went extremely close to taking the lead in the 48th minute, as a free kick from Cancelo found Skriniar, whose header rebounded back off the post. Napoli soon responded through Insigne in the 52nd minute, although his fierce right-foot effort just flew wide. Inter’s next chance came through Koulibaly, who very nearly put the ball into his own net whilst dealing with a Candreva cross. The game’s high-tempo play continued as the second half wore on, with the Partenopei’s Insigne just missing the target with a close-range chip in the 67th minute. Not long after replacing Rafinha, Eder lost possession in a good spot which allowed Napoli to break. The ball eventually fell to Mertens outside the area but his low drive missed the target. With an extra partner up front, Icardi began to see more of the ball and linked up well with Eder, with the latter trying his luck with a fierce strike in the 78th minute. Luciano Spalletti soon sent on Borja Valero and Karamoh (for Candreva and Perisic respectively) to help his side find a potential winner, although neither team could ultimately break the deadlock. Orsato blew his whistle in the 93rd minute, ensuring that Inter vs. Napoli finished 0-0.
Luciano Spalletti’s side now move up to 52 points in the league standings, sitting one point off Lazio and four from Roma. However, the Nerazzurri do have a game in hand. Inter will now be back in action at 12:30 CET next Sunday, taking on Sampdoria and hoping to push on in their quest for Champions League football. #ForzaInter forever!
INTER 0-0 NAPOLI
INTER: 1 Handanovic; 7 Cancelo, 37 Skriniar, 25 Miranda, 33 D'Ambrosio; 77 Brozovic, 5 Gagliardini; 87 Candreva (78' 20 B. Valero), 8 Rafinha (64' 23 Eder), 44 Perisic (86' 17 Karamoh); 9 Icardi
Substitutes: 27 Padelli, 46 Berni, 2 Lisandro, 11 Vecino, 13 Ranocchia, 21 Santon, 29 Dalbert
Coach: Luciano Spalletti
NAPOLI: 25 Reina; 23 Hysaj, 26 Koulibaly, 33 Albiol, 6 Mario Rui; 5 Allan (89' 30 Rog), 8 Jorginho, 17 Hamsik (70' 20 Zielinski); 7 Callejon, 14 Mertens (86' 99 Milik), 24 Insigne
Substitutes: 1 Rafael, 22 Sepe, 11 Maggio, 19 Milic, 27 Machach, 37 Ounas, 42 Diawara, 62 Tonelli
Coach: Maurizio Sarri
Bookings: Allan (N), Gagliardini (I), Insigne (I), Hysaj (N)
Added time: 1' + 3'
Referee: Orsato
Assistants: Di Fiore, Manganelli
Fourth Official: Banti
VAR operators: Massa, Giallatini
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