Italy: Inter's 1-3 defeat to Napoli in Serie A's 36th round puts them at a disadvantage in the race for a Champions League spot.
Five days after the Champions League semi-final second leg against Milan, coach Simone Inzaghi rested several key players. Lautaro Martinez, Edin Dzeko, Marcelo Brozovic, Hakan Calhanoglu, Denzel Dumfries, Federico Dimarco, and Francesco Acerbi all started on the bench. Meanwhile, Romelu Lukaku and Joaquin Correa started in attack.
Inter's makeshift lineup made their start against Napoli difficult. The newly crowned champions had nothing left to play for, but still dominated. In the 41st minute, the match reached a turning point. Gagliardini received his second yellow card, leaving Inter to play with ten men.
Gagliardini (left) was sent off in the 41st minute of the Napoli - Inter match on May 21st. Photo: Ansa
Inter were completely outplayed from the start of the second half. The visitors only controlled the ball 29% of the time and had four shots on goal, while Napoli had 18. In the 67th minute, the newly crowned champions capitalized on their advantage with a goal. Anguissa received a pass from Zielinski, then turned and volleyed beautifully into the Inter net.
Lukaku tapped in the equalizer in the 82nd minute. But Inter still crumbled under the pressure from the newly crowned champions. In the 85th minute, Di Lorenzo put Inter ahead 2-1 with a stunning piece of skill. The Italian right-back curled the ball from outside the penalty area into the top corner of the net, leaving goalkeeper Andre Onana helpless.
In the final minutes, Inter pushed forward in search of an equalizer. But playing with ten men and a makeshift lineup continued to cost them dearly. In the 90+4th minute, Napoli stole the ball in midfield and launched a two-on-one counter-attack. Gaetano then shot the ball, which deflected off Onana and into the net, sealing a 3-1 victory.
Gaetano (left) celebrates the goal that sealed Napoli's 3-1 victory on May 21st. Photo: Reuters
The defeat to Napoli cost Inter their third-place spot in Serie A. Simone Inzaghi's team dropped to fourth with 66 points after 36 matches, just two points ahead of fifth-placed Milan. Poor performances against sixth-placed Atalanta and tenth-placed Torino in the final two rounds could see Inter lose their top-four position.
Lazio overtook Inter for third place with a 1-0 victory over Udinese. The Rome-based team now has 68 points after 36 matches, two points ahead of Inter. Juventus remains in second place with 69 points, but has played one fewer game. Meanwhile, Napoli leads the league with 86 points.
Key events of the Napoli 3-1 Inter match.
On May 24th, Inter will play the Italian Cup final against Fiorentina. Then, on June 10th, they will play their most important match of the season, the Champions League final against Man City in Istanbul, Türkiye.
Thanh Quy
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