Inter produced an epic comeback to beat bitter rivals Napoli 3-2 in a breathless Serie A showdown at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza. Despite trailing by two goals at the 55-minute mark, Cristian Chivu’s side summoned their champions’ mentality to overturn the deficit and preserve their perfect start to the Scudetto defense.
There was nothing to separate Inter and Napoli at halftime, with both teams squandering several promising chances to open the scoring. Massimiliano Allegri’s team enjoyed a dream start to the second half as Matteo Politano broke the deadlock against his former club only five minutes into the second half.
Buoyed by the Italian winger’s opener, Napoli continued to push forward and quickly found what they may have considered a crucial second goal. Rasmus Hojlund launched a perfectly placed low shot into the bottom corner to put clear daylight between the sides, giving Inter a mountain to climb in the final 40 minutes of the game.
However, Lautaro Martinez couldn’t have picked a better time for his first goal of the season. El Toro cut Napoli’s lead in half only three minutes after Hojlund’s goal to initiate the comeback. Still, Inter had to wait until the 82nd minute and Marcus Thuram’s thumping header to level the score.
When it looked like they would share the spoils with Napoli, just like they did at this venue last season, Lautaro latched onto the loose ball inside the six-yard box and completed the turnaround. As a result, Inter maintained their 100% start to the season, while Napoli suffered their second consecutive defeat after losing to Como last week.
Without further ado, let’s look at our Inter ratings.
Inter (3-5-2)
Josep Martinez – 6/10
Despite conceding twice, the Spaniard fared reasonably well today. He did everything he could to deny Napoli that opening goal, but there was a feeling that he could’ve done better to keep out Hojlund’s low effort
Yann Bisseck – 7/10
It felt like he was a center-forward and not a defender, considering he spent most of the game around or inside Napoli’s penalty area. Still, he made several crucial interceptions at the back.
Manuel Akanji – 6/10
Though calm and collected in possession, the Swiss center-back struggled to cope with Hojlund’s pace and strength. He lost sight of the Danish striker, which resulted in Napoli’s second goal.
Alessandro Bastoni – 6/10
Like Bisseck, the Italian star was playing in a more advanced position than usual, but he held up his end of the bargain defensively, especially when asked to defend against Politano.
Federico Dimarco – 7/10
In addition to adding to his ever-growing assist haul with a perfect layoff for Lautaro, the highly rated wingback came agonizingly close to putting Inter in front late in the first half, only for his superbly taken free-kick to rattle off the crossbar.
Petar Sucic – 5/10
Chivu’s decision to bench Calhanoglu and put Sucic in the starting lineup didn’t pay off, as the Croatian midfielder often looked overwhelmed by the pace of the game.
Piotr Zielinski – 7/10
The former Napoli man took Calhanoglu’s place at the heart of Inter’s midfield and excelled. He nearly scored another screamer, but Alex Meret pulled off a stunning save to deny his left-footed volley.
Nicolo Barella – 8/10
What a performance from the diminutive midfielder! Equally restless in possession as he was at winning it back, he covered every blade of grass and constantly looked to drive Inter forward.
Andy Diouf – 7/10
There was some serious pace behind his overlapping runs down the right wing, but the Frenchman must work on his decision-making in the final third. Nevertheless, he worked his socks off today.
Francesco Pio Esposito – 5/10
Often surrounded by at least two Napoli players, the prodigious striker often did well to retain possession and bring his other teammates into play. However, he never came close to testing Meret.
Lautaro Martinez – 9/10
It was a quiet first half by El Toro’s high standards. Yet, he exploded after the break, demonstrating his lethal scoring instincts to turn the tide and inspire Inter to a massive victory.
Substitutes
Marcus Thuram – 8/10
Curtis Jones – 7/10
Carlos Augusto – 7/10
Hakan Calhanoglu – 6/10
Ange-Yoan Bonny – N/A
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The post Inter Player Ratings vs Napoli: Lautaro Engineers Stunning Comeback appeared first on The Cult of Calcio.
