Inter Comeback from 0-2 to 3-2: Massimiliano Allegri Identifies Napoli’s Problems

The 3-2 victory that gave Inter the win in the 91st minute against Napoli continues to have significant repercussions even after the match. This is clearly evident from Massimiliano Allegri’s analysis, as he was called upon to explain his team’s defeat in a match that had seen them leading by two goals with just over half an hour remaining. “Soccer defies logic. I wanted the team to defend inside the penalty area, but perhaps it would have been better if I’d made different decisions,” was the Napoli coach’s self-criticism.

Speaking to ‘DAZN’, Allegri had to analyze the reasons for his Napoli team’s defeat. “At 2-1, we were too complacent. Then again, Inter is a strong team; their change of pace put us in trouble. We could have scored, but they did, and that’s how they won the game. That’s just how soccer goes; what we’re left with is our performance and our ball control. We need to improve, of course, but we also need to stay calm. Right now, we’re paying too dearly for our mistakes—Alisson Santos lost the ball four times after stopping it with the sole of his foot. We need to improve in this area.”

From a technical standpoint, the match featured a balanced first half played at a high tempo, with Inter dominating possession and Napoli well-organized defensively. The second half, however, turned into a real spectacle: after the visitors took a two-goal lead thanks to goals by Politano in the 50th minute and Hojlund in the 53rd, the Nerazzurri gradually pushed forward until they completed their comeback with a brace by Lautaro Martinez and a goal by Thuram in the 82nd minute. Also worth noting in the closing minutes were the glaring chances Napoli squandered on the counterattack through Neres and Anguissa, which could have sealed the victory well before the Nerazzurri’s winning goal scored by the Argentine captain in the 91st minute.

Journalist Enrico Varriale also weighed in on the match, singling out two members of the Napoli squad in particular on social media: “A huge win for Inter, who came back from a 0-2 deficit to take home the three points and extend their lead to +6 in the standings over an excellent Napoli side. 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 sensational missed chance by Lucca and Anguissa was followed by the 3-2 goal from the extraordinary Lautaro, who scored a brace. The substitutions highlighted the difference in quality between the two teams’ rosters. Thuram was decisive for Chivu. Lucca’s defensive blunders and the disastrous performance by Badiashile proved fatal for Allegri, who now faces the difficult task of boosting the morale of a squad that came close to a major upset but returns home from the Meazza empty-handed.”

For Napoli, this marks their second consecutive league loss, following the home defeat against Como on Matchday 2, leaving Allegri’s team stuck on 3 points. It’s been a complicated start to the season, made even more difficult by absences: among the key players missing from today’s match was Scott McTominay, who was forced to sit out due to an ablation procedure to correct a mild, benign arrhythmia. The Scot is not expected to return before October, with the club indicating that his first possible match will be the home game against Frosinone on October 11. Further weighing on the Azzurri’s morale is the transfer saga surrounding Gabriel Jesus, who was snatched from Napoli by Arsenal in the final hours of negotiations and subsequently sold to Barcelona for approximately 15 million euros: an offensive reinforcement that Allegri had identified as ideal to round out a roster that many observers still consider lacking.

It’s worth noting that even after the home loss to Como, Allegri had tried to keep his guard up without hiding his team’s shortcomings: “The guys need to understand that games don’t end at the 40-minute mark—they last 95 minutes. And even with seven minutes left, you need patience and composure. This group needs to understand that Napoli is a strong team—one that creates chances but needs to improve in certain phases of the game.” Words that now sound like a warning that went unheeded, given that it was precisely their failure to manage their lead in the closing minutes that doomed the Azzurri even at San Siro.