For the fourth time in five matches, Napoli Primavera dropped additional points after conceding a goal in the final five minutes of the match. With Atalanta and Cagliari winning their respective matches, the Azzurrini finished 10 points behind their nearest rival. Consequently, Napoli will not play in a relegation playoff. Instead, they have been automatic relegated along with Udinese and Cesena.
Lineup
Nicolò Frustalupi made two changes to the squad he fielded in the loss to Fiorentina. Daniel Hysaj returned to the starting XI to play in the back three over Luigi D’Avino. Meanwhile, Cedrick Koffi started at trequartista over Bilel Sahli.
(3-4-2-1) Boffelli; Hysaj, Barba, Obaretin; Acampa, Gioielli, Iaccarino, Gningue; Koffi, Spavone; Rossi
First Half
Napoli started the match well, creating their first chance only three minutes after kickoff. Gennaro Iaccarino took a quick free kick, switching play to Davide Acampa on the left wing. He picked out Lamine Gningue with a cross to the second post, but the right-sided midfielder missed the target with his header.
Napoli thought they opened the scoring from a corner kick in the 10th minute. The corner was taken short and rotated around to Acampa on the left wing. The midfielder again crossed the ball to the second post, where Daniel Hysaj headed it back into the danger area. Leonardo Rossi snuck in behind the Inter back line to tap the ball past goalkeeper Nikolaos Botis. However, the assistant’s flag went up for offside and the goal was disallowed.
The Azzurrini came close again minutes later, after Acampa picked out the run of Cedrick Koffi with a long ball down the left wing. The forward allowed the ball to bounce in the area before surprising the Inter defense with a quick left-footed strike to the near post, but Botis made a good reaction save to keep it out.
Napoli dominated in the opening stages, creating another chance in the 16th minute. Iaccarino played the ball out wide to Lamine, who played a first-time cross into the area. Botis and right back Alem Nezirevic got crossed up and the ball nearly bounced into the back of the goal. However, Botis recovered, pouncing on the ball before it crossed the line.
The barrage continued a minute later, after Lamine was fouled on the right side of the midfield. Alessandro Spavone’s cross was headed clear, but Nosa Obaretin won the second ball, poking it back to Rossi. His shot was blocked but the rebound fell to Spavone at the edge of the area. The attacking midfielder hit the ball first-time with his left boot but narrowly missed the near post.
On the ensuing goal kick, Francesco Goielli pressed high and immediately won the ball back in the final third. Once again Napoli worked the ball to the right side for Lamine to cross, and once again Inter headed the ball clear. On this occasion Iaccarino was first to the ball but his effort from the edge of the area sailed over the bar.
Much like against Empoli, Napoli were punished for spoiling too many chances. Inter scored in the 20th minute with their first attack of the match. Left back Andrea Andrea Pelamatti played a perfect, in-swinging cross from the left side of the midfield. Amadou Sarr got goal-side of Hysaj before glancing a header into the bottom corner at the far post.
Inter nearly doubled their lead from a similar play less than five minutes before the break. Sarr dispossessed Gioielli at midfield and Inter immediately broke the other way. Midfielder Jacopo Martini played a diagonal pass to Enoch Owusu on the right side of the area. The wigner tried to beat Boffelli with a low shot towards the far post, but he caught too much of the goal and the Napoli keeper made the save.
Second Half
Napoli started the second half well, creating their first chance five minutes after the restart. After an exchange between Acampa and Koffi on the left wing, Acampa squared the ball to Gioielli at the edge of the area. He played an extra pass to Spavone, who fired a powerful shot on target but it was straight at Botis.
Five minutes later the home side equalized after Koffi won a free kick on the left wing. Iaccarino played a low cross into the area and somehow the ball bounced through the crowd and ended in the back of the goal.
Napoli nearly took the lead shortly after the restart. The official played a smart advantage after Koffi was fouled at midfield, allowing Gioielli to carry the ball forward before passing to Rossi on his left. The striker cut in on his preferred right foot, but his effort from the edge of the area curled over the bar.
With the equalizer, Napoli were only 30 minutes away from securing a relegation playoff match against Atalanta. However, they would have to do it with their second keeper Claudio Turi, after Boffelli appeared to suffer a calf injury. At the same time, Matteo Marchisano returned from injury, replacing Lamine on the right side of the midfield.
However, Turi was up to the task. Inter were awarded a corner kick in the 74th minute, which Martini swung into the area. Centre back Sheriff Kassama Won the header but Turi did well to catch the ball.
Turi’s best save came eight minutes later, when Kassama played a long ball forward to Sarr. The forward let the ball bounce to get past Hysaj before outrunning Benedetto Barba into the area. The striker blasted the ball toward the near post but Turi cut off the angle and made the save, keeping Napoli’s playoff hopes alive.
Unfortunately, those hopes did not last long. In the 8th minute, Nicolò Biral’s cross bounced through the area to the left wing, where Pelamatti recovered the ball. The left back played an in-swinging cross into the area, picking out Martini, who directed a powerful header past Turi and into the back of the goal. Martini’s third goal of the season put Inter ahead with only five minutes of normal time remaining.
Despite playing five minutes of stoppage time, the Azzurrini were unable to find a second equalizer. With Cagliari’s 1-3 victory over Frosinone and Atalanta’s 5-0 victory over Udinese, Napoli needed at least a point to play in the relegation playoff. Instead, they finished 10 points behind Atalanta, who ended the season fourth from bottom of the table, meaning Napoli have been automatically relegated to Primavera 2.
