Martinez shines as Inter Milan fight back to beat Napoli
Inter Milan captain Lautaro Martinez produced a match-winning performance to lead Inter Milan to a 3-2 win over Napoli on Saturday at the Giuseppe Meazza Stadium.
The defending champions fought back from a 2-0 deficit to snatch the maximum points thanks to a late goal from Lautaro Martinez in the 91st minute.
The first half ended goalless but Matteo Politano eight minutes after the restart before Rasmus Hojlund added the second goal three minutes later.
Three minutes later, Martinez reduced the deficit with a close range finish.
Marcus Thuram restored parity for Inter Milan with a thumping header in the 82nd minute.
Martinez sealed the maximum points for Inter Milan with a 90th minute winner to lead the team to their third win of the season.
It was another disappointing outing for Napoli, who suffered a 2-1 defeat at home to Como last Sunday.
Inter Milan coach, Christian Chivu described the encounter as a great advertisement for Italian football.
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He said: “It was a great game to watch, entertaining, and a fantastic advertisement for Italian football.
“At 2-2, both teams went toe-to-toe. I saw chances at both ends, and in the end, we’re the ones celebrating because we managed to make it 3-2. We have to compliment Napoli because they’re a strong side, well-coached and filled with match-winners.”
Meanwhile, Napoli coach, Max Allegri urged his team to improve and to stay calm in subsequent games.
He said: “That’s football. We could have scored, but they did and won the match. We need to improve, but our performance and ball control remain [good]. We had favorable situations in the first half, but we didn’t score.
“They are very good at creating chances out of thin air. We need to stay calm. Right now we’re paying too much for our mistakes. The team’s fitness will certainly improve, but now we need to focus on the Champions League.”
In the other Serie A matches on Saturday, Torino defeated Florentina 2-1 while Roma defeated Atalanta 2-1.
Inter Milan will return to action on Tuesday against Real Madrid in the Champions League while Napoli will face Arsenal on Wednesday.
