D'Ambrosio and Lautaro fire Inter to victory over Napoli: the Nerazzurri hold on to second

MILAN - The Nerazzurri didn’t take any prisoners tonight. At times, the football was beautiful, but at others, they were ruthlessly aggressive. But throughout, they were effective. All of these qualities were needed to overcome yet another obstacle, on a sultry and drizzly summer night. The humidity of the air found its analogue in the intensity of the game. D'Ambrosio and Lautaro's goals showed Inter at their most graceful, while Handanovic's diving saves and the defenders’ efforts to clear their lines showed Inter at their toughest. The Nerazzurri bid farewell to San Siro this season with a 2-0 win, and however hard Napoli tried to claw their way back into the game, the Partenopei went home empty-handed on the night. The three points bring Inter back to second place, with a total of 79 points in Serie A this season. This puts the Nerazzurri a point ahead of Atalanta, with the only match remaining being the clash with the Bergamaschi on the final day of the season. Inter will go into that game having won three on the bounce, having scored five goals, but conceded none. But most importantly, they will enter the fray on the final day of the season knowing that the team is on the right path.

It was also a special evening because of the Nerazzurri’s attire. The Nerazzurri were wearing their 2020/21 home kit. And then there are the individual milestones: Candreva made his 150th appearance for Inter tonight, while Borja Valero reached 100. Inter also made seven changes following the previous outing in Genoa. Conte had not made so many changes in any of the matches played since lockdown. Gagliardini, who had played in each of Inter’s post-lockdown Serie A matches as a starter, was out suspended, while Brozovic and Barella pulling the strings in midfield behind Borja Valero, who in turn was supporting Sanchez and Lukaku. Inter made a great start to the match, showing great width and structure, and creating plenty of space. The Nerazzurri midfield was a constant thorn in the Neapolitan visitors’ side, who struggled to string anything together in the middle of the park. Inter snatched the opener in what seemed like their first serious foray into the Napoli half. The move spoke volumes about Inter’s playing style at the minute: Brozovic won the ball in the middle of the park, sent it out wide for Candreva, before Candreva’s cross found its way through to Biraghi, who finally picked out D’Ambrosio on the edge of the box to drill it home. A great team goal to put the Nerazzurri in front after eleven minutes.

Napoli, however, reacted strongly, with Zielinski and Insigne looking sharp in attack. Between minutes 25 and 36, the visitors had three chances to draw level. Inter were digging in, trying to nullify the threat posed by Insigne down the left in particular. Handanovic made decisive saves to deny Zielinski and Politano, while Candreva made a crucial intervention to deflect Insigne’s shot wide. At this point, Inter were struggling to make inroads into the Napoli half despite the hard work of their front duo, although a big chance did come in the 47th minute, when Meret produced an extraordinary stop to keep out Brozovic’s left-footed strike.

After the restart, Napoli also tried to follow the same playing pattern as when they came to San Siro for the first leg of the Coppa Italia clash between the sides: quick and continuous passing in the final third and waiting to find a gap or an opportunity to shoot. But the Nerazzurri were able to close down all the space, leaving the Partenopei with no option but to fire attempts from outside the box. These efforts were often blocked, and even when Elmas was able to find a gap, his shot was off target. With a solid foundation protecting Handanovic’s goal, Inter were able to strike on the break. Biraghi, who put in a selfless performance throughout, had a go, although he got his finish slightly wrong.

But Inter didn’t have to wait long to double their lead, and it was a Lautaro stunner. First, he gathered the ball in midfield, and then he raced forward, looking to penetrate the Napoli half. What followed was a fantastic finish with his right foot, a strike that nestled in the bottom corner and beat Meret from almost 30 yards out. 2-0 to Inter, simply wonderful. It was the goal that sealed it, with a slightly wasteful Napoli side unable to find a response in the closing stages.

Inter’s penultimate match of the season and last fixture on home turf thus came to a victorious end. The Nerazzurri’s thoughts will now turn to their clash against Atalanta as they look to lock down second place. Conte’s men will head to Bergamo having kept three consecutive clean sheets and with the best defensive record in the league, although the Inter backline certainly won’t have it easy against the strongest attack in Serie A. The three points that the Nerazzurri collected this evening will undoubtedly give the team a boost ahead of this final showdown.

THE STORY OF THE MATCH

INTER 2-0 NAPOLI

INTER (3-4-1-2): 1 Handanovic; 33 D'Ambrosio, 6 de Vrij, 95 Bastoni; 87 Candreva (2 Godin 60'), 77 Brozovic, 23 Barella, 34 Biraghi (15 Young 79'); 20 Borja Valero (24 Eriksen 89'); 9 Lukaku (11 Moses 89'), 7 Sanchez (10 Lautaro 60').Substitutes : 27 Padelli, 46 Berni, 13 Ranocchia, 30 Esposito, 31 Pirola, 32 Agoumé, 37 Skriniar. Coach: Antonio Conte.

NAPOLI (4-3-3): 1 Meret; 23 Hysaj (2 Malcuit 84'), 19 Maksimovic, 26 Koulibaly, 6 Mario Rui (31 Ghoulam 65'); 12 Elmas, 4 Demme, 20 Zielinski (5 Allan 65'); 21 Politano (11 Lozano 75'), 99 Milik (7 Callejon 84'), 24 Insigne.Substitutes: 25 Ospina, 27 Karnezis, 8 Fabian Ruiz, 13 Luperto, 22 Di Lorenzo, 34 Younes, 68 Lobotka.Coach: Gennaro Gattuso.

Goalscorers: 11' D'Ambrosio (I), 74' Lautaro (I)Booked: Sanchez (I), Brozovic (I), Barella (I), Biraghi (I), Lozano (N)Notes: ammonito Conte (I)Added time: 4' - 6'.

Referee: Valeri.Assistants: Del Giovane, Prenna.Fourth Official: Prontera.VAR and VAR assistants: Irrati, Galetto.