Calhanoglu’s penalty streak ends as Napoli hold Inter to keep lead

MILAN: Hakan Calhanoglu experienced his first penalty miss for Inter Milan after he netted a fantastic equalizer, resulting in a 1-1 draw against league leaders Napoli at home in Serie A on Sunday.

The game was quite the ride for the 30-year-old Turkish midfielder, who netted an impressive long-distance goal to level things after Scott McTominay had given Napoli the lead.

Nonetheless, he went on to strike the post with a penalty kick, marking his first miss from the spot for Inter after successfully converting 19 in a row. This was also his first penalty miss since November 2016, during his time with Bayer Leverkusen.

The outcome has made the competition at the top of Serie A more intense, with Antonio Conte’s Napoli currently in the lead with 26 points. Following closely are Atalanta, Fiorentina, Inter, and Lazio, each with 25 points, while Juventus is just a step behind this group, keeping pressure on Napoli.

Although Inter manager Simone Inzaghi was let down by losing three points, he was pleased with how his team played.

"I praised the team, saying that if anyone deserved to win, it was Inter. We really controlled the game in the second half," Inzaghi said to DAZN.

"We fell short in a specific play where we could have performed better, but we stayed composed and didn't give Napoli many opportunities. We struck the post twice and missed a penalty, leaving me to wonder what else we could have done. While we might have taken better advantage of our chances, it's important to recognize the quality of the team we were up against."

The visitors went ahead in the 23rd minute unexpectedly, as McTominay quickly reacted to score from just a few feet away after a corner was redirected.

Just two minutes before halftime, Calhanoglu leveled the score with a fierce shot from outside the penalty area that went past Napoli's goalkeeper Alex Meret and landed in the top corner of the net.

Inter dominated the second half, applying constant pressure and coming close to scoring multiple times. However, in the 74th minute, Calhanoglu stunned the San Siro crowd by striking the post with his penalty kick. This followed a questionable foul on Denzel Dumfries, which infuriated Conte since the VAR officials chose not to intervene.

"Do the VAR officials only step in when it benefits them? A call like the one made by the referee can change the outcome of a game, and yet VAR is powerless to address it?" Conte expressed to DAZN.

Although Conte was annoyed by the referee's calls, he felt pleased with how his team played against the Italian champions.

"I mentioned that we weren’t here merely to act as practice opponents for the top team in Serie A. It was crucial for us to confront them with determination and confidence, engaging in battles all over the pitch," he stated.

"I'm quite pleased with that aspect. Playing here has been challenging; we all understand that we're making progress and putting in a lot of effort. There were quite a few mistakes—mainly technical ones—but I'm confident that we'll continue to get better."

In second place, based on goal difference, is Atalanta, which secured their sixth consecutive victory in the league. They turned the game around after trailing at halftime, ultimately defeating Udinese 2-1.

Gian Piero Gasperini's team managed to turn things around with Mario Pasalic scoring an equalizer just 11 minutes into the second half, followed shortly by an own goal from Isaak Toure.

Cheerful fans playfully sang "we're going to win the league" after witnessing their team fight back from a deficit, having conceded a powerful shot from Hassane Kamara just before halftime.

"You can't prevent fans from dreaming, but the truth is there's no use discussing the Scudetto at this moment," Gasperini stated.

Fiorentina stands alongside Lazio in the group of teams trailing Napoli. Lazio secured a 1-0 victory against Monza, while Moise Kean achieved his first professional hat-trick, leading his team to a 3-1 triumph over Verona.

Since joining Fiorentina from Juventus last summer, Kean has found the back of the net 11 times across all competitions. His hat trick helped propel his new team to third place after achieving their sixth consecutive victory in the league.

The 24-year-old has experienced a revival in Tuscany after struggling to find the net at Juventus last season.

AS Roma dismissed Ivan Juric less than two months after bringing him in to take over from Daniele De Rossi. The team is struggling, sitting just four points above the relegation zone in 12th place after a frustrating 3-2 loss to Bologna. The defeat sparked anger among fans, many of whom chose to walk out at halftime in protest.

Roberto Mancini, the former coach of Italy, is expected to take on the role of Roma's fourth coach in 2024. He will follow Juric, De Rossi, and José Mourinho, who was let go in January.

Posted in Dawn on November 12, 2024.