Inter Milan ended Napoli’s unbeaten run in Serie A after Edin Dzeko’s second half goal gave the home side all three points to secure a 1-0 victory on Wednesday.
While Napoli, who came into the game unbeaten in the league this season, dominated possession in the goalless first half, Inter striker, Dzeko, broke the deadlock in the 56th minute when he headed in a cross from Federico DiMarco.
Inter also lifted themselves into the top four spots above Lazio. Meanwhile, Napoli still hold a five-point lead over AC Milan. Inter had their first big chance after just three minutes, Romelu Lukaku doing well to find Federico Dimarco who fired his effort over.
Simone Inzaghi’s side were happy to sit off Napoli, opting to patiently wait for the hosts to turn over possession before starting a counter-attack. Napoli moved the ball well out from the back and into midfield but really struggled in the final third due to Inter’s superb defensive organisation.
Inter had another huge chance to take the lead after 26 minutes, as Lukaku played in Edin Dzeko who put it on a plate for Matteo Darmian but the Italian blasted his effort over the bar. Napoli continued to dominate possession but without creating any clear-cut opportunities.
Inter came out of the blocks quickest in the second half, pressing with much more intensity and putting Napoli under real pressure. It was a complete contrast to their performance in the first half where, despite having the best chances, they didn’t press with any real urgency or purpose.
Eleven minutes into the second half, Inter deservedly took the lead, Dimarco curled in a fantastic cross from the left and Dzeko was on hand to emphatically head it past Alex Meret. The chances fell to the wrong players in the first half but on this occasion, Dzeko was the right man in the right place.
Napoli poured men forward but struggled to fashion any genuine chances and as the game got more and more stretched, it was the home side who looked the more likely to score next.
Giacomo Raspadori had a great chance just minutes before the final whistle, firing a vicious effort on target but Inter keeper Andre Onana was equal to it, pulling off a great save.
Inter managed to see the game out superbly, withstanding a late barrage from Napoli.
Coming into this match, Napoli were the only team across Europe’s top five leagues to not lose a league match. Before the World Cup break, Luciano Spalletti’s side had won 11 matches in a row, scoring 27 goals and conceding nine. Tonight though, Inter proved that every side is beatable.
If Napoli had won, they would have extended their lead at the top to a healthy eight points, instead it stays at five. It will be intriguing to see how the first defeat of the season for a side who has been on a run as good as Napoli’s will affect them going forward.
One thing is for certain, the coaching staff from the likes of Milan, Juventus and Lazio will have watched the match and saw a possible blueprint for getting past the once invincible Napoli.
There were several candidates, most notably the entire Inter back three but Edin Dzeko was the match-winner for Inter, coming up with a big goal in a big moment yet again for his side. He worked hard up front, looking to get on the ball when he could and make a nuisance of himself.
