Serie A: Late Drama in Top-of-the-Table Clash as Billing Rescues Napoli Against Inter Milan
Philip Billing scored a dramatic late equalizer for Napoli, salvaging a 1-1 draw against Serie A title rivals Inter Milan at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on Saturday. The Denmark midfielder’s goal, his first for the club, came just three minutes from the end of the match, keeping Napoli just one point behind the league leaders.
Billing, who joined Napoli on loan from Bournemouth, made an immediate impact after coming on to replace Billy Gilmour. He capitalized on a driving run from Stanislav Lobotka, converting the rebound from a saved attempt by Inter goalkeeper Josep Martinez.
Until that moment, it appeared Federico Dimarco’s stunning free-kick in the 22nd minute would secure a vital victory for Inter, bolstering their defense of the Scudetto. Napoli’s coach, Antonio Conte, expressed mixed feelings after the match, acknowledging the quality of Inter but also highlighting his team’s performance.
“There’s a bit of disappointment because we played well against a good team,” Conte said. “Anyone who said at the start of the season that we’d be a point off the top with 11 matches remaining would have been sectioned.”
Inter’s coach, Simone Inzaghi, was left frustrated by his team’s inability to secure a win in a crucial match. “You need to be perfect in the big matches and we weren’t perfect. We were too slow to react on their goal,” he commented.
The team also faced injury setbacks, with Dimarco and Hakan Calhanoglu forced to leave the field, and Marcus Thuram being substituted after just returning from an ankle injury.
Despite having entered the match on a poor run of form, Napoli’s resilience shone through as they fought back to earn a point. The draw not only kept them in the title race but also provided a lifeline to Atalanta, who remain in third place, three points behind Inter after failing to win at home again.
Atalanta’s coach, Gian Piero Gasperini, reflected on his team’s struggles, stating, “We were hoping to be first and the boys gave everything, but this is a difficult period for everyone.” Meanwhile, Venezia gained a slight boost in their relegation battle thanks to the draw, though they remain five points adrift of safety.
