Inter came back from two goals down inside four second-half minutes to beat Napoli 3-2 at San Siro on Saturday, with Lautaro Martinez scoring twice, including a goal in the 90th minute, to complete Inter’s first ever fightback from a two-goal deficit against Napoli in Serie A history.
Napoli’s Quickfire Double Stuns San Siro
Napoli travelled to Milan under new manager Massimiliano Allegri, who replaced Antonio Conte in the Naples dugout this summer after leaving AC Milan, according to ESPN. For an hour, the appointment looked inspired.
Matteo Politano put the visitors ahead in the 50th minute, and Rasmus Hojlund doubled the lead four minutes later, finishing from the edge of the box to send Napoli’s travelling fans into raptures and silence the home end. Hojlund made his move to Napoli permanent this year in a deal worth around £58 million, completing a switch from Manchester United after a successful loan spell the previous season.
Up until Inter’s response, the result looked like the perfect way for Allegri to open his account against one of Serie A’s other contenders.
Martinez and Thuram Turn the Game
Inter needed just four minutes to respond. Martinez pulled one back in the 58th minute, finishing after picking up the ball on the right side of the box.
Marcus Thuram levelled the game in the 82nd minute with a header that took him to 50 goals in all competitions for the club, before Martinez pounced on a rebound in the 90th minute to complete the turnaround, according to VAVEL’s live match coverage. The brace moved Martinez up to third on Inter’s all-time Serie A scoring list, with 134 goals for the club.
What the Result Means for the Table
The win takes Inter to 9 points from three matches, level at the top of Serie A with Roma, who lead only on goal difference after both clubs won all three of their opening fixtures. Napoli, by contrast, sit 11th with just 3 points, with Saturday’s defeat leaving them with back-to-back losses and a six-point gap already opening up behind Inter.
Chivu, who took over at Inter after Simone Inzaghi’s departure for Saudi club Al-Hilal, led the club to last season’s Scudetto ahead of a Napoli side then managed by Conte. Beating the same opponent again to open this campaign, this time against Allegri’s rebuilt side, keeps that early advantage firmly with Inter.
Both teams scoring twice inside the same forty-minute spell, as covered in What Does BTTS Mean? Both Teams to Score Explained, meant little comfort for Napoli given how the game actually finished.
Chivu Credits Courage, Allegri Owns the Mistakes
Inter head coach Cristian Chivu credited his players for not panicking after falling two goals behind. “Our courage was rewarded,” he said, according to Goal.com, while also praising Napoli as a side “filled with match-winners.”
Allegri was blunt about his own team’s part in the collapse. “If we concede three goals in 30 minutes, then clearly we have got to do better,” he said, according to Yahoo Sports, adding simply, “we need to improve.”
Chivu’s focus has already turned to Inter’s next assignment, a Champions League league-phase opener against Real Madrid, with the fitness of defender Federico Dimarco to be assessed over the coming two days. Allegri, meanwhile, said Napoli’s attention was already shifting elsewhere. “Now we turn our focus to the Champions League on Wednesday,” he said.
Sources:
ESPN
VAVEL
Goal.com
Yahoo Sports