Some quick reflections on a tense top of the table clash in Italy that couldn’t separate Napoli and Inter on the day and in the title race.
1) Federico Dimarco was always a threat on the overlap with his intelligent runs out wide and he played a key role in almost all of Inter’s dangerous moments in the first half. It was important to stress that before giving him deserved acclaim for his stunning free kick, which only got better with each additional viewing. That it was executed so nonchalantly was part of the charm, but the technique in getting that curl perfectly was exquisite. It was the one true moment of quality in an extremely tight game, and were it not for Napoli’s late equalizer it would have been a worthy winner for such a high stakes occasion.
2) That Dimarco was then lost to injury so early in the second half seemed to completely deprive Inter of any attacking impetus. Denzel Dumfries simply couldn’t overlap naturally on the opposite flank, which meant the visitors had no natural outlet to relieve pressure. While it’s not like Inter were facing overloads or hanging on in defence, the lack of attacking edge in the second 45 meant the champions were always vulnerable to losing points considering they had only a one-goal lead.
3) Part of the reason that Inter struggled so much in attack was that once again Marcus Thuram simply didn’t look physically fit. Exactly what Simone Inzaghi and his think tank are playing at here is anyone’s guess. It’s not like Inter don’t have options to cope without Thuram. With the Nerazzuri still competing on three fronts, it’s surely in their best interest to have their French forward rested and fit to go at his best in April and May rather than compromising the team’s shot at success in his current guise where his mobility looks limited.
4) Losing Khvicha Kvaratskhelia in the winter transfer window was always going to be a blow for Napoli, but that has been compounded by the injury-enforced absence of David Neres. Without either, a lot of the creative onus falls on Matteo Politano, and as well as the winger played, his devilish crossing alone was never going to be enough on it’s own against an experienced defence like Inter’s. It was imperative then that Antonio Conte’s midfield contributed in an attacking sense, and it is to the credit of Billy Gilmour, Scott McTominay and Stanislav Lobotka that they all stood up on that front.
5) Gilmour received the ball comfortably in difficult positions and his passes consistently broke the away side’s lines, with one delightful ball over the top to Lukaku almost providing one of the assists of the season. It was probably the young Scot’s best performance since moving to Italy and should earn him the trust of Conte to play more as the pressure mounts in the home stretch of this fascinating title race.
6) McTominay made his customary late runs in the box which have made him a hero for the faithful at the Maradona this season, but it was ultimately Lobotka who played the most creative role in getting the hosts their equalizer. While Phillip Billing gets the plaudits for finishing the move, it was Lobotka’s storming run through midfield and delightfully deft pass at the end of it that set up the goal. Just rewards for the Slovakian who continues to be a reliable metronome and it speaks well of his tactical intelligence that he can be a crucial cog in the engine of two title chasing Napoli teams with distinctively different playing styles espoused by Luciano Spalletti and Antonio Conte.
7) Josep Martinez was denied a third consecutive clean sheet as he deputizes for the injured Yann Sommer, but the Spaniard looks like anything but a backup right now. Calm and assured in possession, Martinez showed excellent reflexes and technical skill to repel shots at him, and was a tad unfortunate that his excellent save of Billing’s first shot resulted in a rebound for the late equalizer. Losing Sommer at such a crucial stage of the season could easily have derailed Inter’s campaign for the treble, but Inzaghi has one less thing to worry about thanks to the competence of his No. 2 goalkeeper.
8) So where does that leave us in this increasingly fraught title race? Inter remain one point ahead of Napoli, with Atalanta a further two points behind in third. The champions have won only twice in their last six games, Napoli are on a five game winless run and Atalanta have bizarrely drawn their last two home games against Cagliari and Venezia without scoring. With neither a European campaign nor any cup distractions, one would think now is the time for Napoli and Atalanta to strike, but this season, as we have seen across Europe, is a different beast altogether. What for so long have been considered football truths just can’t be taken for granted anymore. A Conte team focused only on the league should be relentless, but how is it that Napoli can’t buy a win right now? Inter’s muscle memory should see them through, but is fatigue actually overriding that? Atalanta have this golden opportunity for glory with neutrals in Italy and abroad rooting for them, but can they genuinely cope with the expectation? There are no certain answers to these questions, so the best course is to simply enjoy the action as it unfolds and long may the unpredictability continue. Coming up next weekend then, only the small matter of Napoli hosting Fiorentina and Atalanta visiting Juventus. Let’s get into it folks.
The Through Ball by Wasim Parkar 