Juan Jesus (photo Lapresse)
Inter, Juan Jesus slows down the league leaders: 1-1 Napoli at San Siro
Inter don’t win. The news of the 29th matchday of Serie A is that the leaders, after 10 consecutive victories in the championship (starting streak after the 1-1 draw at Genoa on 29 December 2023), this time drew at home against Napoli. The Nerazzurri took the lead in the 43rd minute with Darmian (who beat Meret from the center of the area following a cross from Bastoni), but were taken back by the ex’s goal at the end of the match (in the 81st minute: Juan Jesus (header from a corner from Politano) and the postponement at San Siro ends 1-1. Inter remains firmly at the top of the table with 76 points and holds a +14 point lead over Milan with nine matchdays to go. Scudetto number 20 which will bring the second star to the Nerazzurri shirts is ever closer. Napoli rises to 45 points, with fourth place worth qualification for the Champions League 9 points away, while fifth-placed Roma are at +6 on Calzona’s team (with a view to 5 teams in the top European club competition, the UEFA ranking by nations will give the verdict later).
Inter, Inzaghi: “There’s a bit of disappointment given the game played, a slight cost us the victory”
“There’s a bit of disappointment given the game we played – the words of Inter coach Simone Inzaghi to Dazn at the end of the drawn match with Napoli -. We were very good against the Italian champions, we made a mistake that cost us the victory. In the last half hour we lost our distance a bit, but Sommer had been practically inactive until the goal. The corner from which it was born? It needs to be reviewed, but the referee played an excellent match in a game that wasn’t the easiest.”
Inter didn’t win, but reacted by showing a convincing performance a few days after being eliminated in the Champions League on penalties by Atletico Madrid. “We were coming off a tough week, there was a red circle on this week. As I said we played an excellent match, we were also sorry for our fans, who gave us a thrilling welcome. Every match there was it’s something to learn, we could have scored goals better, it will be a lesson for the future. The days after Atletico were days of analysis, the disappointment was strong, but you can learn a lot from these situations. The thing I liked the most tonight it was concentration, despite the bitterness and effort of the Champions League.
(Lapresse photo)
A little regret for some wasted opportunities: “There were a couple of restarts on which we could have done better, but we must not forget about the opponents, who are often organized and full of talent. There was an opportunity by Barella on which Juan Jesus made a wonderful intervention, otherwise it would have been 2-0 and the game over.” The championship of the number two star is closer. “There is this hope, but we still have to work well, there are two months to go and we shouldn’t give up. We will need the same attention we have had up to now.”
Napoli, Calzona: “We conceded very little to Inter”
“Not just pride, we also put quality – the words of Napoli coach Calzona to Dazn after the draw with Inter at San Siro –. We conceded very little to Inter and I’m happy because the team played an excellent match.” The Azzurri found an equalizer towards the end and then looked for a coup on the league leaders’ pitch: “We tried until the end because they they put you on the ropes in many ways, perhaps we lacked a bit of clarity. But the team found each other again.”
“Changing three coaches with the team always in difficulty did not help the new signings – Calzona continued to DAZN –, but they are guys who are growing and since I’ve been there I’ve seen a daily growth and I think they will be useful between now and the end of the championship.” Napoli is six points away from fifth place Roma: “We’ve only had seven team training sessions given that we played a lot. We would need to train more to close the gap that still exists, but there’s no time. During the break we will try to add something more.”
Inzaghi and Calzona (photo Lapresse)
Now the break for Serie A which will return to the pitch on the Easter weekend. Calzona will be busy with the Slovak national team in the next few days and will not be in Castel Volturno: “In Naples there remains a staff in which I have full confidence, my technical collaborators are very good. There are so few players left that training will be purely physical to try to maintain shape. I’m not worried about this aspect, then I have the drone images to follow the training”.
Inter, Marotta: “Lautaro renewal? Conclusion before the end of the championship”
Before Inter-Napoli, Beppe Marotta spoke about the renewal of Lautaro Martinez. “We will certainly reach a conclusion before the end of the championship. We also have a splendid relationship with the agent and we can only reach an extension. Now in the championship we have a good margin of advantage over our opponents, but we must not sit back. We must conquer this goal as soon as possible. It would be something extraordinary for the history of Inter, perhaps even with the record of points”, the words of the Nerazzurri manager to Dazn.
Lautaro Martinez (photo Lapresse)
Napoli, Juan Jesus in the 90th minute: “Acerbi? What happens on the pitch stays on the pitch, he apologised”
“Good match, in the second half only us played so the draw is fair. This shows the strength of the group of reigning Italian champions”, the words of Juan Jesus to Dazn at the end of Inter-Napoli. Do you believe in the Champions League? “Of course, mathematics gives us the possibility to dream. We have a lot of direct clashes, we have to give everything.” Were you angry with Acerbi for something he said to you?’ “What happens on the pitch stays on the pitch, then he apologized and we moved on. When the referee blows the whistle it’s all over, he’s a good guy. On the pitch he’s telling us everything, but then he apologized because he had gone a long time. a little further with the words. He’s a smart guy.”