Final score

23 September 2009 20:45

Inter
32' Lucio
5' Milito
3' Eto'o
Napoli
38' Lavezzi
Referee: Matteo Trefoloni / Linesmen: Copelli, Padovan / Fourth official: Valeri
Watch highlights
Minute Text commentary
46' Half time. We're 3-1 up against Napoli at the break but Donadoni's men have settled into a rhythm and are very much alive. An interesting second half coming up.
45' One minute of added time.
42' Another chance for Dejan Stankovic. The Serbian takes Eto'o's short pass past three opponents and fires his shot just wide of the post.
40' Napoli come looking for a second. Zuniga rifles on target but Julio Cesar says no with a palmed block.
39' Stankovic sees his 20-yard shot comfortably saved by De Sanctis.
38' GOAL. Argentine forward Lavezzi is more precise this time as he lashes home Contini's assist from Hamsik's corner. INTER 3-1 NAPOLI.
34' Lavezzi gets into a shooting position but his effort is way off target.
32' THERE'S THE THIRD!!!! Sneijder's plants his swinging cross from the left corner flag on to the head of Lucio, who nods home his first goal for the Nerazzurri. INTER 3-0 INTER.
24' Zanetti gets in behind Bogliacino and beats the Napoli midfielder to Maggio's dangerous cross from the right before heading out for a corner. Brilliant defending by Il Capitano.
22' Milito holds off a challenge just outside the Napoli area and serves Sneijder. The Dutchman's shot is blocked by Cannavaro.
21' Milito plays in Eto'o but De Sanctis narrows the angle to deny the Cameroonian a third for Inter.
18' Back under the Curva Sud, Julio Cesar makes a difficult save from Quagliarella's downwards header from Hamsik's corner. Moments later Maggio sends an acrobatic effort wide.
16' What a start by Maicon. The Brazilian latches on to a loose ball in a central position 25 yards from goal and cannons a thunderous effort inches over the crossbar.
12' Another chance for Napoli. Quagliarella climbs in the area and connects with Maggio's cross from the right. The Neapolitan striker's header is wide.
11' Bogliacino goes closer with a first-time shot from Hamsik's corner, forcing Julio Cesar into a low save.
9' Lavezzi blasts wide a 20-yard shot as a stunned Napoli side try to establish a rhythm.
7' Maicon bursts past an opponent and whips in a cross that is headed clear by Paolo Cannavaro. Moments later Sneijder unleashes a fierce low drive from 20 metres. It's several yards off target.
5' GOOOAAAALLL!!! Diego Milito follows up with a quick second!!!!! Maicon goes on a marauding run past three opponents and pokes through for Milito to slide home his third goal in two games. INTER 2-0 NAPOLI.
3' GOOOAALLLLL!!!! A dream start for Inter as Samuel Eto'o stabs home from a yard out after De Sanctis fails to clear Walter Samuel's header from a corner. INTER 1-0 NAPOLI.
1' Welcome to the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza in Milan's San Siro district for our first midweek clash of the 2009/10 Serie A season.
1' Napoli kick off. FORZA INTER, and FORZA INTER CAMPUS!
1' The Inter Campus Paraguay team is led by Julio Gonzalez, who resumed his playing career after losing his arm in a car accident. Gonzalez' great courage won him the first edition of the Giacinto Facchetti Award.
1' We're moments away from kick-off as the Inter Campus kids greet the Inter and Napoli players.
1' After the warm-up and before tonight's 20:45 kick-off, over 300 children representing the 19 different countries taking part in the Inter Campus World Cup will parade around the pitch. It promises to be an unforgettable experience for them.
1' Napoli: 26 De Sanctis; 13 Santacroce, 28 Cannavaro, 96 Contini; 11 Maggio, 23 Gargano, 18 Bogliacino, 16 Zuniga, 17 Hamsik; 27 Quagliarella, 7 Lavezzi.&#8232;<br>Subs: 1 Iezzo, 2 Grava, 5 Pazienza, 6 Aronica, 9 Hoffer, 19 Denis, 21 Cigarini.
1' Inter: 12 Julio Cesar; 13 Maicon, 6 Lucio, 25 Samuel, 26 Chivu; 4 Zanetti, 19 Cambiasso, 5 Stankovic; 10 Sneijder; 22 Milito, 9 Eto'o.<br> Subs: 1 Toldo, 2 Cordoba, 11 Muntari, 14 Vieira, 30 Mancini, 39 Santon, 45 Balotelli.
1' The teams are out for the pre-match warm-up, so here we go with the lineups.
1' There are few surprises in the starting lineup as Mourinho sticks with nine of his eleven starters in Sunday's 2-1 win at the Sant'Elia. The only change are in defence, with Chivu and Samuel coming in for Santon and Cordoba.
1' José Mourinho is disqualified for tonight's match after his dismissal against Cagliari at the weekend. Vice coach Giuseppe Baresi will take his place on the Inter bench.
Minute Text commentary
49' Full time. Inter beat Napoli 3-1 and go top of the table ahead of tomorrow night's match between Genoa and Juventus. See you on Saturday for our Week 6 match away to Sampdoria.
45' Four minutes of overtime.
45' Samuel Eto'o gets a standing ovation as he makes way for Mancini.
44' Inter bring replace Lucio. On comes Ivan Ramiro Cordoba.
41' Eto'o's long-range effort goes over the bar.
40' Donadoni brings on Pazienza for Bogliacino.
38' Quagliarella's weak long-range shot is easily saved by Julio Cesar.
38' De Sanctis beats Eto'o to Milito's lofted pass, denying the Cameroonian a clear chance on goal
31' Hamsik wastes a Napoli corner, sending his cross straight into the side-netting.
29' Maicon is booked for protesting.
27' Julio Cesar comes to the edge of the box and makes the ball his as Napoli launch a swift counter-attack.
26' Maicon looks for Muntari with a looping pass over the Napoli defence but the Brazilian has overhit it slightly. Goal kick.
24' Walter Samuel rifles a low shot on target after a half-clearance by Cannavaro. De Sanctis gets a hand to the ball and concedes a corner. Our best chance of the second half so far.
23' Substitution number two for the visitors. Denis on, Maggio off.
22' Quagliarella sends an ambitious long-range effort well wide.
17' Gargano looks for Hamsik with a decent cross from the left. The Slovak is quickly closed down by Samuel and Chivu.
15' Eto'o is dispossessed just before he can play wide to Stankovic, who was in acres of space. A chance wasted.
15' Napoli make their first change. Santacroce is replaced by Aronica.
13' Napoli's Bogliacino is yellow-carded for a foul on Stankovic.
10' Stankovic and Contini are shown yellow cards after a clash in midfield.
6' Zuniga sends a lofted pass into the box for Lavezzi but Julio Cesar gets there first.
5' Esteban Cambiasso's curling free kick goes behind for a Napoli goal kick.
1' Sulley Muntari is on for Wesley Sneijder.
1' Inter kick off the second half.
Zanetti
7.27
7.27
Cordoba
6.68
6.68
Stankovic
7.63
7.63
Cambiasso
7.63
7.63
Julio Cesar
7.33
7.33
Samuel
8.02
8.02
Maicon
8.17
8.17
Chivu
6.81
6.81
Mancini
6.39
6.39
Muntari
6.42
6.42
Milito
8.82
8.82
Lucio
8.36
8.36
Eto'o
8.52
8.52
Sneijder
6.7
6.7
Average rating 7.48
7 shots on target 4
5 shots off target 8
10 fouls committed 16
5 corners 8
3 offsides 3
57 ball possession 43
Mourinho v Donadoni

The only previous meeting between the two coaches was last season's league match at the Stadio San Paolo in Naples.

Details:
2008/09 Serie A Inter-Napoli ---- 0-1

Mourinho v Napoli

José Mourinho faces the Azzurri for the third time after a win and a defeat in last season's Italian championship.

Details:
2008/09 Serie A Inter-Napoli 2-1 0-1

Donadoni v Inter

Roberto Donadoni has faced Inter on three previous occasions in his coaching career, winning one and losing the other two. In these three meetings the home side has always won.

Details:
2004/05 Serie A Livorno-Inter ---- 0-1
2005/06 Serie A Livorno-Inter ---- 0-5
2008/09 Serie A Napoli-Inter 1-0 ----

Inter unbeaten at home in national competitions since March 2008

The Nerazzurri haven't lost a domestic fixture (Serie A, Tim Cup, Italian Super Cup) at home since their 2-1 Serie A defeat to Juventus on 22 March 2008, winning 20 and drawing 9 of the other 29.

One loss in last 43 home fixtures

Inter have lost just one of their last 43 home matches (1-2 against Juventus on 22 March 2008), winning 33 and drawing 9 of the other 43. The Nerazzurri have failed to score in just one of their last 78 league games at home (a 0-0 draw with Genoa on 26 October 2008), scoring 170 goals in the other 77 matches.

Inter one away from double century

Inter have scored 199 goals in competitive matches against Napoli (at home and away). The first two came in a 2-1 home victory on 5 January 1930 when Antonio Blasevich scored in the 23rd and 47th minutes. Antonio Vojak scored Napoli's in the 90th.

Napoli & pens against

Napoli have had 3 penalties given against them in 4 games - more than any other team except for Chievo.

Napoli's poor away form

The Azzurri's last away win was almost a year ago. Since their 1-0 Serie A victory over Lazio at the Olimpico on 26 October 2008, Napoli have played 17 away games, drawing 4 and losing 13. Excluding the 0-0 extra time draw at Juventus in the Coppa Italia on 4 February 2009, Napoli have conceded in the other 16 games for a total of 31 goals let in.

DA IMPLEMENTARE
wins(54) draws(18) defeats(9)

MILAN - Italian champions Inter move top of the Serie A table with a first-half display of attacking football against Napoli.

Samuel Eto'o and Diego Milito had the Azzurri in all sorts of trouble with goals in the opening five minutes.

Lucio opened his scoring account for the Nerazzurri to seemingly kill off the encounter shortly after the half-hour, but Ezequiel Lavezzi pulled one back ten minutes the break.

Inter, whose second half form won them the games against Parma and Cagliari, handed out a lesson in sprint starts to the Neapolitans. 

Eto'o gave Inter the best possible start, prodding home from close range in the third minute after De Sanctis fumbled Samuel's header from a corner.

Just two minutes after the Cameroonian's fourth competitive goal in black and blue, Milito added his fifth. Maicon powered past four opponents and played an inch-perfect pass through to the Argentine who coolly sidefooted home.

Brazil captain Lucio got in on the goal fest in the 32nd minute, rising in the area to nod home Sneijder's perfect corner kick.

It looked like game over but Napoli regrouped and Lavezzi pulled one back with his first goal since March. Hamsik swung in a corner from the right, Contini drove across the area and the Argentine fantasista was on hand to lash home a lifeline.

There were fewer chances after the break as Inter defended their two-goal cushion, restricting Napoli to speculative long-range efforts and looking to sting them on the break.

Our best chance fell to Walter Samuel who brought a fine one-handed save from De Sanctis after pouncing on Cannavaro's loose clearance.

On the evidence of this performance José Mourinho, disqualified after his sending-off against Cagliari, has reason to be pleased. So do the 300 children from the 19 participating nations in the Inter Campus World Cup, who met their heroes before kick-off after a parade around the Meazza.

Inter 3-1 Napoli (HT: 3-1)

Scorers: Eto'o 3, Milito 5, Lucio 32, Lavezzi 38.
Inter: 12 Julio Cesar; 13 Maicon, 6 Lucio (2 Cordoba 89), 25 Samuel, 26 Chivu; 4 Zanetti, 19 Cambiasso, 5 Stankovic; 10 Sneijder (11 Muntari 46); 22 Milito, 9 Eto'o (30 Mancini 90).
Subs not used: 1 Toldo, 14 Vieira, 39 Santon, 45 Balotelli.

Coach
: Giuseppe Baresi.

Napoli: 26 De Sanctis; 13 Santacroce (6 Aronica 60), 28 Cannavaro, 96 Contini; 11 Maggio (19 Denis 68), 23 Gargano, 18 Bogliacino (5 Pazienza 85), 16 Zuniga, 17 Hamsik; 27 Quagliarella, 7 Lavezzi.
Subs not used: 1 Iezzo, 2 Grava, 9 Hoffer, 21 Cigarini. 

Coach
: Roberto Donadoni.

Referee: Matteo Tefoloni (Siena).

Booked: Stankovic 55, Contini 55, Bogliacino 58, Maicon 74.

starting lineups

Julio Cesar 12 De Sanctis
Maicon 13 Santacroce
Lucio 6 Cannavaro P.
Samuel 25 Contini
Chivu 26 Maggio
Stankovic 5 Gargano
Cambiasso 19 Bogliacino
Zanetti 4 Zuniga
Sneijder 10 Hamsik
Milito 22 Quagliarella
Eto'o 9 Lavezzi

substitutes

Toldo 1 Iezzo
Cordoba 2 Grava
Muntari 11 Pazienza
Vieira 14 Aronica
Mancini 30 Hoffer
Santon 39 Denis
Balotelli 45 Cigarini