Napoli 2 - 1 Inter Milan: Gonzalo Higuain bags brace as Napoli edge Inter to go top of Serie A

Posted Tuesday, December 01, 2015 by PA

Gonzalo Higuain's classy double fired Napoli to the summit of Serie A as they won the top-of-the-table clash with Inter Milan 2-1.

The Argentina frontman struck the opener with just 65 seconds on the clock and added the second after the break to send the hosts a point clear of their opponents in second.

Inter had to play the second half with 10 men after defender Yuto Nagatomo was sent off moments before the interval.

And although they pulled one back through Adem Ljajic, Napoli held on to give their title hopes a major boost.

The visitors had kept a clean sheet in their previous four matches but their rearguard was breached with Napoli's very first attack.

Jose Callejon brought down a poor clearance on the edge of the area and Higuain took the ball in his stride before smashing home a superb angled shot on the turn with his right foot.

Inter were stunned and Napoli sensed the chance to take advantage and poured forward, with Marek Hamsik just off target from the edge of the box.

Hamsik then crossed towards the lively Callejon, whose shot flew wide.

Inter's first effort on goal came from Fredy Guarin, who took aim from 25 yards out and saw his fierce, curling effort dip just over the crossbar.

Mauro Icardi headed a good chance wide and Ivan Perisic squandered a decent opportunity when he fired into the turf from in front of goal.

But Inter's hopes suffered a blow on the stroke of half-time when Nagatomo, already on a booking, needlessly clattered Napoli midfielder Allan on the touchline to earn a second yellow card and leave the visitors a man down.

Tempers flared after the break when Allan reacted to another bad challenge, this time from Guarin, with the subsequent shoving match earning both players a yellow card.

Higuain almost added a second with a near-post header from Faouzi Ghoulam's cross which flew narrowly wide.

But the in-form striker made no mistake just after the hour mark when he latched onto Raul Albiol's headed clearance, burst between two defenders and clipped home his 14th goal of the season.

The 10 men halved the deficit in the 67th minute when Ljajic capitalised on some hesitant defending to beat Napoli keeper Pepe Reina at his near post.

Inter twice could have snatched a point in stoppage time only to be denied by the woodwork, with Stevan Jovetic hitting one post and Reina dramatically pushing Miranda's header onto the other.