Napoli End Inter's 10-Game Winning Streak
19 April, 2021
Napoli 1-1 Inter Milan
Serie A leaders Inter Milan saw their 10-game winning run halted after playing to a 1-1 draw at Napoli on Sunday evening.
Achraf Hakimi and Lautaro Martinez returned for the visitors, while Alex Meret replaced David Ospina as Napoli's only change from last weekend.
The game started at an easy pace, but the first proper openings arrived after 22 minutes as Romelu Lukaku hit the crossbar after Koulibaly went close at the other end.
It was the home side who got the target in the 36th minute when Inter goalkeeper Samir Handanovic turned Lorenzo Insigne's cross into his own net after his view was blocked.
Antoino Conte's men almost pulled themselves level right before the break by Alex Meret pulled off a essential black to deny Nicolo Barell the target from close range.
The equaliser did arrive ten minutes in to the second half, with Christian Eriksen firing past Meret with a well-taken strike from distance.
Napoli Gennaro Gattuso responded by introducing Dries Mertens for Victory Osimhen while Inter threw on Ivan Perisic and Alexis Sanchez for the ultimate 20 minutes.
However, neither side could actually find a winning goal in the closing stages as Inter sit nine points above second-place Milan while Napoli miss the chance to move fourth.
Atalanta 1-0 Juventus
Juventus dropped to fourth spot on the Serie A table after suffering a 1-0 defeat away to Atalanta on Sunday afternoon.
The visitors were without Cristiano Ronaldo through injury as Paulo Dybala returned to become listed on Alvaro Morata in the attack.
Juventus had the game's first effort after 16 minutes but Federic Chiesa could only send his effort over the prospective frim just within the box.
Andrea Pirlo's men continued to put on the pressure as Morata saw an effort cleared off the line by Berat Djimsiti 10 minutes before the break.
Atalanta, meanwhile, only had one real possibility to show because of their efforts in the first half, with Pessina dilly-dallying on your golf ball in the box prior to the visitors cleared.
The next half was a bit more subdued despite Atalanta seeing more of the ball, as chances were few in number in the opening 15 minutes.
After losing Chiesa to a niggle, Andrea Pirlo introduced Arthur Melo for Weston McKennie on 74 minutes as the visitors looked to obtain the breakthrough.
The breakthrough did arrive on 87 minutes but for Atalanta, as Ruslan Malinovskyi fired home the winning goal after being set up by Josip Ilicic.
Source: www.soccerladuma.co.za
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