Inter Milan 2 : 2 Napoli - San Siro contest has a lively end - 7M sport

Inter Milan 2 : 2 Napoli - San Siro contest has a lively end



Posted Monday, October 20, 2014 by PA

A late flurry of goals at San Siro saw Inter Milan and Napoli share the points from a 2-2 Serie A draw.

Both Inter coach Walter Mazzarri and Napoli boss Rafael Benitez were challenging their former clubs with a certain amount of pressure on their shoulders following sluggish starts to the season.

And there was anxious stalemate in Milan until Jose Callejon scored the first of his two goals with a little more than 10 minutes remaining.

When substitute Fredy Guarin levelled it looked like Inter had done enough to rescue a point but they were forced to mount one last rally after Callejon converted his brace in stoppage time.

Hernanes' header may have denied seventh-placed Napoli two points but it did little to further Inter's own frustrated ambitions of reaching the European places. They climb one spot to ninth.

It was fair to say before kick-off that goals were forecast given both teams' recent results, but the first half failed to deliver in that regard.

Inter came closest to notching, with Mauro Icardi twice going close and Hernanes chesting down the ball and smashing it against a post with Rafael Cabral standing beaten shortly before half-time.

Napoli had been strangely subdued and only really threatened Samir Handanovic on one occasion, when Lorenzo Insigne put Marek Hamsik through on the half-hour mark.

The Slovakian schemer hit the ball with swerve first time but Inter's Slovenian goalkeeper had his near post covered.

Benitez clearly encouraged his team to snap out of their passive trance when play resumed as, in the 50th minute, Insigne managed to rattle a post after going one-on-one with Handanovic.

Inter held their opponents at arm's length until the 64th minute, when Callejon's rasping drive caused all sorts of problems for Handanovic.

Nemanja Vidic had to step up when Insigne sent Gonzalo Higuain on a jinking run into the area. The Serbian defender cleared the ball as far as Gokhan Inler, who blasted over the bar.

The Azzurri continued to turn the screw, however, and were rewarded in the 79th minute.

It was a huge error of judgement from Vidic that allowed Callejon to saunter into the box before sliding the ball under Handanovic, sparking wild celebrations among the away fans.

That moment gave Inter the overdue jolt they needed to wake up. Mazzarri threw Guarin into the fray for Guy Medel and, with his first touch, the Colombian scored an equaliser.

He made his way from the touchline to the far post for an Inter corner, and duly stuck out a toe when Icardi's header bounced into his path.

All of a sudden the game was wide open and Napoli sensed blood in the water.

Callejon stole through an immobile defence on the stroke of full-time to connect with David Lopez's sumptuous cross and volley home what appeared to be a dramatic winner.

It was not to be for Benitez's battlers, though, as Inter found time and space to level in stoppages.

Dodo's cross arrived from the left and all it took was a rising header from Hernanes to beat Rafael and deny Napoli right at the end.



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