Hakan Calhanoglu delivered a stunning long-range strike to equalize for Inter Milan after Scott McTominay had given Napoli an early lead, but he also missed a penalty, hitting the upright as the match ended in a 1-1 draw at San Siro.
The clash was crucial, with only a point separating the two teams prior to kick-off. Following the weekend’s results, Atalanta, Lazio, and Fiorentina were also in close contention with Napoli at the top of the Serie A standings. Inter made some adjustments to their lineup, with only Carlos Augusto unavailable. The team had recently rotated their squad during a midweek Champions League victory over Arsenal, allowing Francesco Acerbi to start for the first time since October 20. Meanwhile, Stanislav Lobotka returned to the bench after a month out, while Billy Gilmour retained his place in the starting eleven.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia was quick to test Inter’s goalkeeper Yann Sommer early in the match, while Nicolò Barella’s attempt from distance narrowly missed the target. Napoli took the lead from a well-executed set-piece when Amir Rrahmani flicked on a corner, allowing McTominay to tap in from close range ahead of Denzel Dumfries.
Inter nearly conceded again when Calhanoglu’s misplaced pass almost allowed Lukaku to set up Kvaratskhelia for another goal, but Acerbi managed a crucial sliding tackle to prevent it. At the other end, Acerbi himself came close to equalizing after receiving a through ball from Barella, but his angled shot was saved by Alex Meret.
Just before halftime, Inter found their equalizer through Calhanoglu’s powerful strike from outside the box that swerved and dipped into the far corner, leaving Meret with no chance. The second half saw Lautaro Martinez attempt an audacious back-heel flick that was blocked by Matias Olivera, while Federico Dimarco’s shot from the edge of the area struck the outside of the post.
As Lobotka made his return from injury, Inter began to assert more control over the game. Dimarco continued to threaten with shots on goal until a controversial moment led to a penalty for Inter when Andre Frank Zambo Anguissa made minimal contact with Dumfries inside the box. Despite VAR’s inability to intervene due to the slight nature of the contact, Calhanoglu’s penalty hit the base of the upright—marking his first miss out of 18 penalties taken for Inter.
Barella then showcased his skill by leaving two defenders behind with a clever dummy before firing a shot that tested Meret once again. Although Lautaro Martinez had another goal-bound header saved by Meret, it was ruled offside earlier in the play.
Napoli nearly snatched victory in dramatic fashion at the end of the match when Cyril Ngonge turned Matteo Darmian and pulled back a pass from the byline. However, Giovanni Simeone fired over from just 12 yards out.
The draw means Napoli remain at the top of Serie A but now holds only a one-point lead over Inter, Atalanta, Lazio, and Fiorentina—setting up an intense title race as the season progresses.
Goals: McTominay 23 (N), Calhanoglu 43 (I)
Inter (3-5-2): Sommer; Pavard, Acerbi, Bastoni (’88’ de Vrij); Dumfries, Barella, Calhanoglu (’82’ Zielinski), Mkhitaryan, Dimarco (’82’ Darmian); Lautaro (’88’ Arnautovic), Thuram (’82’ Taremi).
Napoli (4-3-3): Meret; Di Lorenzo, Rrahmani, Buongiorno, Olivera; Anguissa, Gilmour (60′ Lobotka), McTominay; Politano (’84’ Ngonge), Lukaku (77′ Simeone), Kvaratskhelia.
