Raging Antonio Conte red-carded as Scott McTominay fires Napoli back twice at Inter

Raging Antonio Conte red-carded as Scott McTominay fires Napoli back twice at Inter

Napoli fell behind early on Sunday when Federico Dimarco struck in the ninth minute following a mistake in midfield. Inter pressed hard, but Conte's side steadied themselves and grew into the contest. Their improvement was rewarded in the 26th minute as McTominay arrived first to Matteo Politano's low cross to score a well-taken equaliser.

Inter pushed again before the break, but Napoli held firm and created chances of their own after the restart, with Rasmus Højlund narrowly missing the target.

The flashpoint arrived in the 73rd minute when Amir Rrahmani conceded a penalty after stepping on Henrikh Mkhitaryan's foot. Following a VAR review, the spot kick was awarded and Conte reacted angrily, kicking the ball away and confronting the fourth official, which resulted in a red card.

As he left the pitch, reports said Conte repeatedly shouted "shame on you all" down the tunnel.

Hakan Calhanoglu converted the penalty, but Napoli refused to collapse. Just eight minutes later, Noa Lang redirected Politano's cross, allowing McTominay to score his second equaliser of the night.

Conte did not attend the post-match press conference, leaving assistant Cristian Stellini to speak instead.

"I won't talk about the penalty," Stellini said. "The important thing was the reaction. Coming back twice here shows great character."

Stellini added: "It was not so much about the incident itself, but the disadvantage we had just suffered. The team responded in the right way."

Napoli made only two substitutions compared to Inter's five, highlighting their physical strength. The draw reclaimed third place for Napoli, while Inter stayed top, three points clear of AC Milan, after their six-match winning run came to an end.

Related News

Inter Milan midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu to miss Arsenal Champions League clash with injury

Inter Milan midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu to miss Arsenal Champions League clash with injury

  • 6 hours ago

Inter will be without one of their key midfielders for the Champions League clash with Arsenal after confirming Hakan Calhanoglu has suffered a calf injury that is expected to keep him sidelined for around three weeks.

Luciano Spalletti: Juventus must step up to match Inter Milan and Napoli

Luciano Spalletti: Juventus must step up to match Inter Milan and Napoli

  • 12 hours ago

Juventus manager Luciano Spalletti praised his team's effort after a 5‑0 win over Cremonese at the Allianz Stadium on Monday but insisted they are still not on the same level as Inter Milan or Napoli.

Italian transfer expert reckons Man Utd will keep Kobbie Mainoo

Italian transfer expert reckons Man Utd will keep Kobbie Mainoo

  • 14 hours ago

Kobbie Mainoo is increasingly likely to remain at Manchester United beyond the January transfer window, following Ruben Amorim's departure.

 Ajax midfielder Kenneth Taylor seals Lazio move

Ajax midfielder Kenneth Taylor seals Lazio move

  • 3 days ago

Lazio have confirmed the signing of Ajax midfielder Kenneth Taylor, completing a major move for the 23-year-old as he begins a new chapter in Serie A.