For much of the first half, the Inter Milan - Napoli match seemed an even affair, a fun one for the neutrals as both sides played flowing, entertaining football. It seemed that Inter, now under the guidance of Claudio Ranieri, had finally found their feet after a rocky start to the season. But then it all fell apart for the nerazzurri.
Inter Milan Vs. Napoli: Visitors Claim 3-0 Win Over 10-Man Inter
Joel Obi, already on a yellow for a very soft challenge early in the match, was shown a second for a foul on Christian Maggio. Replays showed that the Napoli wingback had been outside the area, but the penalty was given, and Marek Hamsik stepped up to the spot. Goalkeeper Julio Cesar guessed right and palmed the ball away, but Hugo Campagnaro came flying through to sink the shot on the rebound. The Inter players were, to put it mildly, a bit miffed. Julio Cesar and Javier Zanetti (surprisingly enough) both were shown yellow for dissent, but it was Ranieri that received the harshest punishment. He made his irritation known to referee Rocchi after the whistle blew and was sent to the stands for his troubles.
When play resumed, it was all about the partenopei. Sure, Inter were down a man, but they couldn't even find a shred of an idea upon which to lay their heads. Napoli took advantage, pressing forward, searching for more goals. The second came through Christian Maggio, with no controversy this time. Giuseppe Mascara, who came on for Goran Pandev early in the second half, sent the ball over the heads of the Inter midfield to fall to Maggio, who simply toed the ball over the head of the onrushing Julio Cesar and into the back of the net.
Two wasn't quite enough for the visitors, though, not with Marek Hamsik trying to find his fiftieth goal for Napoli. However, the Slovakian made an unselfish decision to lay off and pass to Juan Zuniga, who, when faced with an open net, managed to send the ball into the stands. Fortunately for Hamsik, his next opportunity came quickly, and he had no choice but to take it himself: an Ezequiel Lavezzi pass cut perfectly through two Inter defenders, with Hamsik hanging back just long enough to make sure he was onside. Then it was simple, with Hamsik beating Julio Cesar for the first time in his career to make it a 3-0 win for Napoli.
Blame it on the referee. Blame it on Ranieri being banished to the stands. Or perhaps, just accept the fact that Napoli might actually be that good. Good enough to challenge for the scudetto. Good enough to stand top of the table.
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