MILAN, Nov 22: Serie A leader Napoli lost for the first time this season as Inter Milan reinvigorated its Italian title bid with a 3-2 win on Sunday.
Inter, the defending champion, cut the gap on Napoli and AC Milan to four points after 13 rounds and ended Napoli’s status as the last remaining unbeaten team across Europe’s five major leagues.
It was an Argentine who scored the winning goal. Lautaro Martínez scored Inter’s third on a counterattack in the 61st minute, set up by compatriot Joaquín Correa.
Inter goalkeeper Samir Handanović preserved the result with a brilliant save to deny Mário Rui in injury time, forcing the ball onto the crossbar, before Mertens’ miss.
The visitors had struck first in the 17th when Piotr Zielinski won the ball off Nicolo Barella and ran forward to score from Lorenzo Insigne’s pass.
Hakan Çalhanoğlu equalized with a penalty in the 25th, awarded after Kalidou Koulibaly was penalized through VAR for hand ball, and Ivan Perišić headed Inter’s second before the break.
Martínez scored but Mertens ensured a lively finale when he pulled one back in the 78th with a brilliant shot under the crossbar.
Genoa vs Roma
Roma coach José Mourinho was facing the prospect of a third straight league game without a win until he brought on Felix Afena-Gyan at Genoa.
The 18-year-old Afena-Gyan scored twice in a 2-0 win to lift Roma to fifth and spoil Andriy Shevchenko’s debut as Genoa coach. (AP)
