Victor Osimhen entered the pitch to hug Matteo Politano after Juan Jesus’ equaliser against Inter, but tension on the touchline in the final minutes erupted as Nerazzurri players protested against the referee.
Napoli held Inter to a 1-1 draw at San Siro on Sunday, ending the Nerazzurri’s winning streak. However, Simone Inzaghi’s men remain 14 points above second-placed Milan, while the Partenopei are nine points below fourth-placed Bologna.
Football Italia was among the accredited media at San Siro on Sunday and now brings you three things you didn’t see by watching the game on TV.
Lautaro goal celebration
Matteo Darmian gave Inter the lead minutes before the half-time break, and all Nerazzurri players widely celebrated. The captain, Lautaro Martinez, was particularly excited, repeatedly raising his arms in the air to pump up the fans and make the atmosphere even more electric. The Argentinean striker had missed the final penalty kick for Inter against Atletico Madrid on Sunday but both he and his teammates received support from ultras before the match.
What Osimhen did against Inter
Osimhen spent the entire game on the bench due to a minor muscle issue so Francesco Calzona opted to start Italy international Giacomo Raspadori and introduce Giovanni Simeone as a substitute in the second half. Nevertheless, Osimhen was entirely involved in the match, as proved by his celebration after Juan Jesus’ equaliser. The Nigeria international entered the pitch to hug Politano, who had taken the corner kick that led to Napoli’s goal. Osimhen celebrated with Napoli’s reserves and hugged them, too, before returning to the bench.
Touchline tension
Tension erupted after Napoli’s equaliser. Simone Inzaghi and Inter players vehemently protested against the referee when he saw an Alessandro Bastoni foul on Politano. Inzaghi was furious and was urged by the fourth official to return to his technical area. A few minutes later, the referee didn’t give Inter a free kick for a potential foul on Tajon Buchanan and at that point, Inzaghi literally entered the pitch for a few seconds. Shortly afterwards, Inter players on the bench, especially Nicolò Barella and Federico Dimarco appealed for a penalty kick as Napoli keeper Alex Meret appeared to catch Marus Thuram in the face while claiming the ball from a Denzel Dumfries cross from the right. Darmian also asked for clarification from the fourth official after the final whistle as Inter had been given a penalty kick against only a few weeks ago in similar circumstances in an away game at Fiorentina.