Inter Milan 1-0 Napoli
The post-Christmas celebration didn’t go as planned for second-placed Napoli, as Inter Milan handed them their third defeat of the Serie A season.
Napoli had a chance to cut Juventus’ lead at the top of the table following the Bianconeri’s surprising 2-2 draw against Atalanta. However, the Partenopei wasted their opportunity in a tightly contested and highly controversial encounter at San Siro.
Even more frustrating for Carlo Ancelotti’s men, they lost in injury time and finished the game with only nine men after two late red cards to Kalidou Koulibaly and Lorenzo Insigne.
Highlights of the game
Napoli may have succumbed to another defeat, but in a match marred by racism, it was Italian football that lost the most.
Lautaro Martinez’s stoppage-time goal was enough for Inter Milan to edge out a feisty Napoli side after a goalless opening 90 minutes. However, the storyline that took the Serie A 2018 news headlines was the alleged racism that defender Kalidou Koulibaly experienced during the match.
Koulibaly was sent off on 81 minutes after picking up his second yellow card, but that was all after he was subjected to relentless racist remarks from the San Siro crowd. The 27-year-old defender received monkey chants throughout, and it eventually got into him as he was forced off the field.
Ancelotti revealed they tried to appeal to suspend the match, but their plea went on deaf ears as the game continued.
“The next time we will stop playing and leave the pitch, even if we have to lose the match,” Ancelotti told reporters after the game, via BBC. “I’m unhappy because three times we asked for the match to be suspended due to the racist chanting against Koulibaly.”
“The boy was on edge, he’s an educated footballer who was targeted … what happened today was bad, not only for us but also for Italian football.”
Inter, obviously, used the numerical advantage to take control of the proceedings. And as Ancelotti noted, “Koulibaly’s sending off influenced the match” because they “were reduced to 10 men.”
Martinez poked home an easy goal from 15 yards in the 91st minute, and it was all over for Napoli right there and then as they didn’t have enough time to mount a comeback.
It didn’t help them that Insigne was also given a straight red card after clashing with Keita Balde Diao. Controversially, a replay of the incident showed that it was the Inter man who started the altercation, as he tweaked Insigne’s ears.
Key statistics
The game was tight and almost went goalless—as what the Serie A 2018 odds at SBOBET suggested—and that is made more clear by the fact that the two clubs have nearly identical statistics.
Napoli had 51 percent possession, but both teams have nine shots each. Inter only edged the visitors when it comes to on-target efforts, firing five to the Partenopei’s four (the difference being Martinez’s late, late strike).
Both clubs have legitimate chances of breaking the deadlock in the game. The most noteworthy, though, was Mauro Icardi’s near first-touch goal that would have set the San Siro on fire.
Icardi played the ball during kick-off and when the Argentine noticed Napoli keeper Alex Meret was off his line, he quickly hit the ball with the very first touch of the game. Unfortunately, it hit the crossbar as the visitors survived what would have been an embarrassing start.
Also, had that goal went in, it would have been the fastest goal in any of Europe’s top-flight competition!
What’s next?
It remains to be seen how Napoli will proceed after their issues during the game. The Italian top flight will surely look at their complaint, and it’s possible the league would hand punishments in one way or another.
Anyway, following their Boxing Day defeat, Napoli are now nine points behind league-leading Juventus who remain undefeated with a win (vs Roma) and a draw over the last five days. Also, they are only five ahead of Inter Milan.
Ancelotti’s charges next face 18th-placed Bologna before New Year. They then head to a much-needed break and will return to action in the Coppa Italia against Sassuolo after three weeks.
On the other hand, Inter Milan will hope to extend their four-game unbeaten run in all competitions when they play Empoli this weekend. It’s a chance for Luciano Spalletti’s men to keep the momentum swinging on their side as they head to the winter break, and the fact that they could further cut the lead at the top will give them added motivation.
Just like Napoli, Spalletti and Co. head to cup competition in 2019, as they are slated to play Benevento when they resume football action.
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