Inter Milan Held to 1-1 Draw by Napoli in Thrilling Match
Austrian Striker Arnautovic Nets First Inter Goal
Inzaghi's Men Rue Missed Chances in Scudetto Race
Inter Milan's Scudetto hopes suffered a setback on Saturday as they were held to a frustrating 1-1 draw by Napoli at the San Siro.
With AC Milan claiming a crucial 1-0 victory over Empoli earlier in the day, Inter knew they needed a win to keep pace in the title race. However, they were unable to find a way past a resolute Napoli defense and missed several gilt-edged chances.
Inter began brightly and took the lead in the 21st minute through Marko Arnautovic. The Austrian striker, making his first start for the club, latched onto a loose ball and fired home from close range.
Napoli responded well to going behind and equalized just 10 minutes later. Hirving Lozano broke free down the right flank and crossed for Victor Osimhen, who headed home from six yards out.
Inter continued to press for a winner but were wasteful in front of goal. Edin Dzeko and Lautaro Martinez both had excellent opportunities to put their team ahead, but they failed to convert.
The draw leaves Inter in second place in the Serie A standings, two points behind AC Milan. With just seven games remaining, Inzaghi's men face an uphill task to retain their title.
Missed Chances Cost Inter Dearly
Inter will rue their missed chances against Napoli. They had 17 attempts on goal, but only four of those were on target. In contrast, Napoli had just eight shots, but four of them were on target.
The most glaring miss came from Dzeko in the second half. The Bosnian striker was played through on goal by Martinez, but he fired his shot wide of the far post.
Martinez also had a golden opportunity to win the game in the dying minutes, but he headed wide from close range.
Inzaghi Frustrated by Result
Inter manager Simone Inzaghi was visibly frustrated by his team's performance after the game.
"We created a lot of chances, but we didn't take them," Inzaghi said. "We need to be more clinical in front of goal if we want to win the Scudetto."
Inzaghi also rued the missed opportunity to close the gap on AC Milan.
"We needed to win this game to keep the pressure on Milan," Inzaghi said. "Now we have a tough task ahead of us."
What's Next for Inter?
Inter will have little time to dwell on their disappointment as they face a crucial Champions League clash against Porto on Wednesday.
The Nerazzurri need a positive result in Portugal if they want to keep their hopes of reaching the quarterfinals alive.
Inter then return to Serie A action next weekend with a trip to Spezia.
