Inter responded to Juventus's defeat, winning 3-1 in Naples and returning to the top of the table with 45 points, level with the Bianconeri. The Azzurri, on the other hand, fresh from their victory over Sassuolo, are unable to find the consistency required by Gattuso to return to the European fight and remain on 24 points. The match was decided by a brace from Romelu Lukaku in the first half and a goal from Lautaro Martinez in the second half. Two left-footed shots from the Belgian striker, the second with the complicity of Meret, and a close-range touch from Lautaro give Conte the three points. Milik's goal at the end of the first half was not enough for Napoli. For the occasion, Gattuso lines up a 4-3-3 with Callejon, Milik and Insigne in attack, while in midfield there are Allan, Ruiz and Zielinski, with Hysaj and Mario Rui on the wings with Di Lorenzo and Manolas as central defenders. Conte responds with a 3-5-2 with Lukaku and Lautaro Martinez in attack. Candreva and Biraghi on the outside, Gagliardini, Brozovic and Vecino in the middle of the field. In defense Skriniar, De Vrij and the young Bastoni. In the 2nd minute Napoli were dangerous: Insigne's cross and Milik's header ended high. Inter responded in the 3rd minute with Lukaku who went off on his own, skipped past Meret and shot, but Mario Rui saved on the line. There was an offside position anyway. Several reversals of front with the home team wasting a good opportunity in the 8th minute. Insigne's mistake was serious as he poorly controlled an assist from Zielinski in the area. The Nerazzurri responded with Lautaro Martinez with a right-footed shot from outside the area and Napoli became dangerous with a counterattack by Insigne who however finished wide. In the 14th minute, the Nerazzurri took the lead: Di Lorenzo slipped and allowed Lukaku to restart from midfield, running 70 metres and then a winning left-footed shot that hit the post and went into the net. Napoli reacted and in the 25th minute Milik scored after Handanovic had come out, but Callejon called for a foul on Biraghi. Shortly after, Meret outdoes himself on a close-range right-footer from Lautaro almost from the edge of the pitch, but in the 33rd minute the Napoli goalkeeper makes a serious mistake on a great left-footer from Lukaku from the edge of the area. Meret is on the ball but makes a poor save and the ball passes between his legs and ends up in the net, making it 0-2 for Inter. Gattuso's team wanted to get back into the game and in the 38th minute they came close to scoring, but Insigne's sure-fire right-footed shot was saved by Handanovic with one hand. A minute passes and Napoli closes the gap: in the 39th minute a long ball goes to Callejon who is in a regular position, first-time assist to the center for Milik who scores the 1-2 goal from two steps away. The Polish striker could have equalised in the 45th minute but, all alone in the area, he couldn't find the ball with his head, he hit it with his shoulder and it ended up out. At the start of the second half, a low diagonal left-footed shot from Insigne ends just wide. Inter controls and restarts and in the 62nd minute finds the third with Lautaro Martinez. Cross from the right by Vecino, clumsy intervention by Manolas who effectively passes the ball to the Argentine who from two steps away beats Meret with his right foot again for 1-3. Napoli tries to get back into the game and in the 75th minute Insigne is unlucky as he sends in a free kick from the edge of the area that hits the crossbar. Conte's team responds with a great left-footed shot from outside the box by Skriniar which Meret blocks. Then Insigne, one of Napoli's best, serves Zielinski who finishes but Handanovic stops it without any problems. In the 87th minute, another great left-footed shot from outside the box by Zielinski but the Inter goalkeeper outdoes himself and saves by diving. Insigne tries again in the 90th minute but ends up high. In injury time, Lautaro arrives alone in front of goal, beats Meret on the way out, but Di Lorenzo recovers.
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