Serie A: Napoli lastly crushed as Inter revives title bid

And then there have been none.
Serie A pacesetter Napoli misplaced for the primary time this season as Inter Milan reinvigorated its Italian title bid with a 3-2 win on Sunday.
Inter, the defending champion, reduce the hole on Napoli and AC Milan to 4 factors after 13 rounds and ended Napoli’s standing because the final remaining unbeaten group throughout Europe’s 5 main leagues.
Dries Mertens, who had arrange a pulsating finale along with his club-record 137th purpose for Napoli, missed the prospect to equalize in harm time when he blazed his shot over.
“It was a very tactical match and we could have drawn it in the end,” stated Napoli coach Luciano Spalletti on his first return to the San Siro in Milan since he was fired by Inter after ending fourth in 2019.
Spalletti’s gamers wore jerseys paying tribute to soccer nice Diego Maradona, who died on Nov. 25 final yr.
It was one other Argentine who scored the profitable purpose. Lautaro Martinez scored Inter’s third on a counterattack within the 61st minute, arrange by compatriot Joaquin Correa.
Inter goalkeeper Samir Handanovic preserved the outcome with an excellent save to disclaim Mario Rui in harm time, forcing the ball onto the crossbar, earlier than Mertens’ miss.
The guests had struck first within the seventeenth when Piotr Zielinski received the ball off Nicolo Barella and ran ahead to attain from Lorenzo Insigne’s move.
Hakan Calhanoglu equalized with a penalty within the twenty fifth, awarded after Kalidou Koulibaly was penalized by means of VAR for hand ball, and Ivan Perisic headed Inter’s second earlier than the break.
There was a prolonged delay early within the second half following a conflict of heads between Napoli’s Victor Osimhen and Inter’s Milan Skriniar. Osimhen was unable to proceed and went off with what seemed a cheekbone harm.
Martinez scored however Mertens ensured a full of life finale when he pulled one again within the 78th with an excellent shot underneath the crossbar.
There was one other holdup for an additional conflict of heads, between Ospina and Inter striker Edin Dzeko. Both continued with bandaged heads to see the late drama.

TEENAGER RESCUES ROMA
Roma coach Jose Mourinho was going through the prospect of a 3rd straight league recreation with out a win till he introduced on Felix Afena-Gyan at Genoa.
The 18-year-old Afena-Gyan scored twice in a 2-0 win to raise Roma to fifth and spoil Andriy Shevchenko’s debut as Genoa coach.
Hampered by accidents and coronavirus infections, Roma did not impress till Henrikh Mkhitaryan arrange Afena-Gyan for the breakthrough within the 82nd. Afena-Gyan drilled a low shot contained in the far submit, then sealed the win with an excellent curling shot in harm time.
“I dedicate the goal(s) to everyone, to my family, to the fans, to my mother who brought me this far,” Afena-Gyan stated.
Earlier, a penalty from Brazilian ahead Joao Pedro helped Cagliari go away the underside of the desk with a 2-2 draw at Sassuolo.
Sampdoria’s 2-0 win at Salernitana left the promoted aspect backside in Cagliari’s place.
Also, Nigerian ahead David Okereke’s second-half purpose was sufficient for Venezia to come back away from Bologna with a shock 1-0 win.