Inter handed Napoli their first loss of the Serie A season on Wednesday night at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza. Forza Napoli Press presents four takeaways from the Partenopei’s first game after the World Cup break.
Rusty Rrahmani
It’s been a while since Napoli’s defense was put under as much pressure as they were subjected to on Wednesday. While the duels between Kim Min-jae and Romelu Lukaku were great to watch, Amir Rrahmani had a tough time out. The Kosovan made his first league appearance since early October due to injury, and it was evident: Rrahmani looked shaky. Eden Dzeko headed in the opening goal after a smart run which tricked the Napoli centre-back. But it’s unfair to be harsh on Rrahmani, as returning from injury is never easy, especially versus Inter at the Meazza. It’s now up to the Kosovan to regain his excellent pre-injury form, when he was one of the league’s best central defenders.
Kvara Kept Quiet
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia was unable to produce his usual magic for Napoli yesterday. Like Rrahmani, he also returned from injury, so this was far from an ideal match to return to. It seemed like Kvara was missing his usual fearless confidence, which could have been useful against a very compact Inter. On the odd occasion the winger attempted to take on his man, he was confronted by Matteo Darmian and Milan Škriniar, who Simone Inzaghi intentionally played on the right side. The Georgian did not receive much sympathy from the officiating crew. Early on, he found a pocket of space, but he was flagged offside, though the replay showed he was clearly onside. There were also multiple physical tackles on the winger, particularly from Škriniar early in the first half. He could have been protected better by the referees, as it appeared the Nerazzurri were intentionally trying to take him out.
High press
Before the World Cup, Napoli highlighted on several occasions how they could m play out of the press with ease. That wasn’t the case on Wednesday. In the first half, Inter didn’t press at all. Instead, they suffocated Napoli’s midfield by dropping into a mid block. At times during the second half, the Partenopei were put under high pressure, but unlike before the break, they had a difficult time playing through it. Though Inter defended well, Napoli’s struggles could also be attributed to the long break. Four of Napoli’s starters – Anguissa, Kim, Olivera and Zielinski – represented their countries at the World Cup. Perhaps they need some time to rebuild the chemistry and confidence they had before the break. With a busy fixture list, Spalletti’s men will need to recover their form quickly.
No Man Overboard
Although the loss against Inter is Napoli’s first of the Serie A season, and the gap with rivals is shrinking, there is not yet reason to panic. Napoli historically struggle at the Meazza, and after a 52-day World Cup break, dropping points in Milan is nothing to be ashamed of. The gap to Milan is still five points, while Juventus are seven points away and Inter one more than them. However, it is crucial that Napoli get back to their best soon. Next Friday, Juventus visit the Maradona, leaving only the away fixture against Sampdoria for gli Azzurri to find form. It’s of great importance that Napoli get something from the match against Juventus, as otherwise all the good work from the first half of the season could be undone. There is no man overboard as at the moment, but the pressure on Spalletti’s men is increasing. It’s now up to them to show that they’re up to the task.
