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Inter Milan’s defence of their Serie A title hasn’t been easy following a series of departures. The club parted ways with their manager Antonio Conte, while their top scorer Romelu Lukaku joined Chelsea.
However, the Nerazzurri haven’t fallen apart completely. Under Simone Inzaghi, the team has managed to stay in contention despite stiff competition from their rivals.
The current Inter team may not be as efficient as last season’s, but they’re still a very difficult team to beat. Following a 1-1 draw with rivals AC Milan before the international break, the Nerazzurri continued from where they left off, beating league leaders Napoli on Sunday.
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Inzaghi’s side had to produce a special performance to defeat the Serie A leaders. A 3-2 win was perhaps a perfect reflection of how close the game was.
Inter Milan end Napoli’s unbeaten run
Inter Milan’s win over Napoli on Sunday was the first loss suffered by Luciano Spalletti’s team in the league this season.
The Partenopei have been imperious this season, maintaining a high level of consistency. However, their best efforts weren’t enough against Inter, who showed great determination and character to come from a goal down to win the game.
The Nerazzurri fell behind after just 17 minutes when Piotr Zielinski fired in a shot from the edge of the box. In truth, Napoli controlled the game for larger swathes, but Inter were more clinical on the night. Hakan Calhanoglu levelled the scores from a penalty in the 25th minute. Ivan Perisic then put Inter ahead with a near-post header before the half-time break.
Lautaro Martinez made it 3-1 with a deft finish in the second half. But Dries Mertens ensured there was a tense finish after pulling one back for Napoli with ten minutes left. Despite purring late on, Inter held on to claim a key victory, and end the Partenopei’s unbeaten start to the season.
Serie A title race wide open again
Meanwhile, Inter Milan’s win over Napoli has blown the Serie A title race wide open again. Spalleti’s side still remain top of the table, but only on goal difference. Thanks to AC Milan’s defeat against Fiorentina on Saturday, Inter are now four points behind Napoli and the Rossoneri as the title race gets more intense.
“More than a pragmatic Inter, I think it is a beautiful Inter. It is a team that has done very, very well so far; we have had a few too many draws that are probably not deserved,” Simone said after the win over Napoli, as quoted by Sempre Inter.
“With 28 points in another championship, you are first or second at this point, so congratulations must be given to Napoli and AC Milan, but tonight I will give them to my boys because with difficulties, absences, ailments, they all wanted to be there, and, in my opinion, we deserved this victory.”
As things stand, Milan, Inter and Napoli could all win the league. But it remains to be seen which team remains more consistent over the course of the season.
