Inter vs. Napoli: A Closer Look—Luca Marelli Weighs In on a Controversial Referee Decision
Among the many controversial plays that marked the Inter-Napoli match, there was one that sparked anger among the Nerazzurri: Stanislav Lobotka’s alleged handball in the box during a challenge with Nicolò Barella. Referee Sozza did not stop play, and the VAR did not intervene either, allowing the Azzurri to score through Matteo Politano on the ensuing counterattack. The incident was reviewed in the ‘DAZN’ studios, complete with analysis by Luca Marelli. “There are many doubts. It’s hard to tell if there was contact, given that his arm is outstretched. Looking at all the footage we have, it’s unclear whether he touched it with his hand or not,” was the former referee’s verdict.
However, this wasn’t the only controversial incident of the evening at San Siro. In the 82nd minute, on Marcus Thuram’s goal that tied the game at 2-2, referee Sozza chose not to stop play even though Rrahmani was on the ground in front of goalkeeper Meret: the referee ruled that the Napoli defender had fallen as a result of his own header and not due to a challenge by an opponent. This decision fueled further controversy after the match, adding to the already long list of disputed incidents. Also worth noting was a failure to blow the whistle on a play involving Alisson Santos and Zielinski, who remained on the ground, as well as a yellow card issued to Lautaro Martinez for protesting after a hard challenge by Rrahmani.
Beyond the refereeing controversies, the match delivered a hard-fought victory for Inter, who managed to come back from a 0-2 deficit to win 3-2 thanks to a two-goal performance by their captain, Lautaro Martinez, who proved decisive in the closing minutes with the go-ahead goal in stoppage time. Enrico Varriale’s assessment on social media effectively summed up the match: “A huge victory for Inter, who came back from a 0-2 deficit to take home the 3 points and extend their lead to +6 in the standings over an excellent Napoli. People were expecting a strong performance from Allegri’s team, and that’s exactly what they delivered. In stoppage time of a wild match, a glaring missed chance by Lucca and Anguissa was followed by the 3-2 goal from the extraordinary Lautaro, who scored a brace.”
The journalist then pointed the finger at two members of the Napoli squad, deemed among the main culprits for the final collapse: “The substitutions highlighted the difference in quality between the two teams’ rosters. Thuram proved decisive for Chivu. Lucca’s defensive blunders and the disastrous Badiashile proved fatal for Allegri, who now faces the difficult task of restoring the morale of a team that came close to a major upset but returns home from the Meazza with no points.” This analysis strikes a raw nerve at Napoli, where the depth of the roster had already been called into question during the summer transfer window.
For the Azzurri, this marks their second consecutive league loss, following the home defeat against Como on Matchday 2, leaving Allegri’s team stuck on 3 points. Further weighing on the Neapolitan club’s difficult spell is the absence of Scott McTominay, who was sidelined for an ablation procedure to correct a mild, benign arrhythmia: the Scot missed the match at San Siro and is not expected to return before October. The schedule, however, offers no respite: on Tuesday, September 9, Napoli’s European debut in the Champions League against Arsenal is already scheduled at the Maradona Stadium—the very same team that, in the final hours of the transfer window, snatched Gabriel Jesus from Napoli, who was sold to Barcelona for approximately 15 million euros.
