The big match at San Siro ends in a draw. Inter misses the lead in the standings, Napoli emerges from the difficulties. McTominay’s brace keeps the championship race open
McTominay’s brace saved the championship and avoided Napoli a defeat that would not have been deserved and which would not have done justice to the match at San Siro. An intense match, perhaps not exciting in terms of pace but which contained all the best that the two candidates for the Scudetto can give at the moment. Surprisingly, given the starting conditions, Napoli had more of it and emerged refreshed from a match in which they risked risking everything.
Reversing the frame, Chivu must reflect on why his Inter never manages to get the knockout blow against high-level matches. This time the Nerazzurri don’t even have the consolation of having built without collecting, given that only in flashes and only in the first half were they able to impose their speed of play on the Neapolitans. Napoli hung on to the match and struck ruthlessly, taking advantage of any inattention from Chivu’s gang who gave at least a couple of gifts in rough defensive readings.
It’s true, Mkhitaryan’s post at the last attack could have drawn a different ending. It would not have been the correct photograph of the evening even if it would have had the effect of an uppercut to the chin by Napoli, without Conte who had excluded himself with a drama at the time of the penalty not seen by the excellent Doveri and amended by the VAR. To be clear: clear penalty. End of debate.
At San Siro there were two players who stole the eye. The first is the aforementioned Scot McTominay who is now Inter’s bête noire. The other goes by the name of Rasmus Hojlund who alone kept the entire Inter defense in apprehension: never seen Akanji and Bastoni suffer so much from the marking on a single man, devastating in the physical contrast and always present to himself. Huge performance, his.
The moral of the match that could have been the championship (and which at the moment wasn’t) is that leaving Conte’s Napoli for dead is a mistake that no one can afford to make. The Italian champions will fight until the end not to tear the tricolor from their shirt and it is not certain that in May, re-reading the film of the season, Chivu will not regret this evening as the moment in which he was unable to get on the Scudetto train. Inter seemed strangely lacking in energy when the opponent, who on paper should have had much less strength, put everything he had into play, shifting the direction of the match.
Post scriptum for well poisoners in effective permanent service: Doveri refereed in the European style with a unique standard immediately recognized by the players. Five whistles in the first half, more interventions in the second half. The players respected him from start to finish, a sign that they recognized his imprint. The VAR could not avoid the penalty. Anyone who wants to throw it into confusion should note that the reality is different.
