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Napoli and Inter Milan locked horns in Serie A on Sunday. The Nerazzurri were looking to go 11 points clear at the top of the league table, while the Partenopei were aiming to secure a Champions League spot.
Both teams came into this game on the back of important wins against Sampdoria and Cagliari, respectively.
Napoli have hit top form since the turn of the year as they aim to beat Juventus and Atalanta to a top-four spot. Genaro Gattuso's men dominated the majority of the game against Inter Milan and deservingly got the lead going into halftime.
Lorenzo Insigne's burst of pace was too hot to handle for Inter Milan's defense. Samir Handanovic collected the Italian's cut-back but fumbled the ball into his own net to gift the hosts the lead.
It was a commanding first-half performance by Napoli as Inter Milan had little joy in the opposition half. While this was not unusual for Antonio Conte's men, they struggled to trouble Alex Meret between the posts.
However, it did not take long for Inter Milan to respond, as a second-half strike from Christian Eriksen leveled the scoreline.
It was Napoli who had more chances throughout the game, but Inter Milan showed resilience at the back to contain their firepower and go home with a point.
On that note, let's take a look at the 5 talking points from Sunday's game.
#5 Impressive defensive display by Napoli
Lautaro Martinez and Romelu Lukaku form one of the best attacking duos in Europe. The pair have already bagged 36 goals in Serie A this season. They came into this game in utmost form, but their march was halted by a spectacular defensive performance by Napoli.
Konstantinos Manolas has struggled with a few injuries this season, but when on form, the Greek international guards the post better than anyone.
Inter Milan's ability to fall back and launch lethal attacks on the counter can worry the best of defenses, but it is safe to say that Napoli had the right game plan to stop them.
#4 Christian Eriksen shows his class again
Christian Eriksen has been under scrutiny since joining Inter Milan. However, on Sunday, he proved that he is still an elite midfielder who can be a key figure in any team.
Despite not having the best of games, the Dutchman came up clutch for his side as he unleashed a lethal strike from outside the box in the 55th minute.
Antonio Conte has been supportive of the 29-year-old, giving him regular minutes on the pitch. It is clear that the former Tottenham Hotspur man is part of the manager's plans for the future.
#3 Inter Milan blunt in the final third
Inter Milan were rather unlucky not to score more than one goal. The visitors struck the post twice, and their decision-making in the final third let them down massively.
The likes of Matteo Darmian and Achraf Hakimi had golden opportunities to alter the scoreline, but the wing-backs wasted their chances by looking for a pass inside the box instead of going for goal.
While this was surely an off day for Inter Milan, Conte won't be too worried as this is just their first draw in over four months of football.
#2 A man-of-the-match performance from Kalidou Koulibaly
Kalidou Koulibaly was tasked with containing Romelu Lukaku on Sunday night and had no plans of going down without a fight.
With 2 interceptions, 3 tackles, 75% aerial & ground duels won and a whooping 9 accurate long balls completed, Koulibaly was on the winning end of his individual battle.
Despite receiving an early yellow card, the Senegalese defender did not let Lukaku get the better of him. In a game where Napoli saw more of the ball, Lukaku and Martinez were often found in 2v2 positions against the home side's defense. However, their attempts led to no goals.
Koulibaly seemingly saw a dip in form at the start of the season. However, since the turn of the year, he has been one of the best performers in the league and has impressed the football world with his quality.
#1 Napoli are two points behind 4th placed Juventus: Can they achieve Champions League football?
Napoli had a rather underwhelming 2019-20 league campaign, as they finished 7th in Serie A. Despite winning the Coppa Italia, Gennaro Gattuso would've definitely felt that his side could've pushed a little bit more to qualify for the Champions League.
However, the former AC Milan manager will be pleased with his team's performances this season as they are just two points behind Juventus, who sit in 4th place.
Napoli will play 5 of their next 7 games against teams from the bottom half of the table and have completed most of their fixtures against the top teams.
Gatusso's men have all the potential to achieve their objectives for the season, but whether they do so remains to be seen.
