Inter Napoli Draw As McTominay Nets Again Against Serie A Leaders

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Inter dropped valuable ground in the Serie A title race, drawing 2-2 with Napoli at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza. The result stopped Inter moving five points clear, after AC Milan’s 1-1 draw with Fiorentina earlier on Sunday. Cristian Chivu’s team twice moved ahead, yet Scott McTominay struck two equalisers to earn Napoli a point.

The match opened at high tempo, with Inter striking first after just nine minutes. McTominay lost the ball in midfield, allowing Lautaro Martinez and Marcus Thuram to combine. Federico Dimarco surged forward on the overlap and drove a low finish from a narrow angle past Vanja Milinkovic-Savic, giving Inter early control.

Napoli responded in the 26th minute through McTominay, whose movement repeatedly troubled Inter. Eljif Elmas delivered a sharp low cross from the right. McTominay timed the run perfectly and finished at Yann Sommer’s near post, bringing Napoli level and also scoring Napoli’s 3,700th Serie A goal.

The second half stayed balanced until a crucial 73rd-minute incident decided Inter’s second goal. Referee Daniele Doveri consulted VAR and judged that Amir Rrahmani had fouled Henrikh Mkhitaryan inside the penalty area. Antonio Conte protested strongly on the touchline and received a red card, before Hakan Calhanoglu converted off the post from the spot.

Napoli refused to fold and struck again eight minutes later, with McTominay once more decisive. Matteo Politano sent a deep cross to the far side, where Noa Lang kept the move alive. The ball dropped kindly for McTominay, who met it with a clean volley that beat Sommer and made it 2-2.

Inter almost snatched victory during stoppage time as the pressure increased around Napoli’s box. A loose ball fell for Mkhitaryan, whose volley deflected off a defender and wrong-footed Milinkovic-Savic. The effort struck the post and bounced away, leaving Inter frustrated and Napoli relieved to leave with a draw.

Inter Napoli Serie A statistics and Dimarco record

McTominay’s brace continued a strong record against Inter, as highlighted by Opta. Inter are the first side against whom McTominay has scored in three separate Serie A matches. The midfielder’s three league goals versus Inter place McTominay level with Torino for most goals against the Nerazzurri in the competition.

Dimarco’s opener also carried wider significance within European statistics. The wing-back’s first-time finish took Dimarco’s direct league goal contributions this season to nine, from four goals and five assists. That tally is the joint-highest among defenders in Europe’s top five leagues, matching Alex Grimaldo’s combined total for contributions.

Dimarco’s impact has been consistent since rejoining Inter for the 2021-22 season. Across that period, Dimarco has scored 19 Serie A goals, which is the most by any defender in the competition. The latest display underlined Dimarco’s attacking value, even though Inter were unable to protect either advantage against Napoli.

Underlying numbers suggested Inter created the better chances across the 90 minutes. Chivu’s side produced 13 shots, including the penalty, for an expected goals figure of 1.45. Napoli attempted seven shots with an xG of 0.74, showing Inter’s superiority in chance creation, yet both sides ultimately shared the points.