Inter on Sunday were given a letoff when they snatched a late 1-1 derby draw with AC Milan, while league leaders SSC Napoli were held by a late goal at AS Roma.
Reigning champions Inter remain three points behind Napoli, who looked to be heading five clear as they led in Rome until Angelino volleyed in a stunning leveler in the first minute of stoppage-time.
Angelino’s strike gave even more significance to Stefan de Vrij’s last-gasp equalizer at the San Siro. The defender forced home Nicola Zalewski’s knockdown just as it looked like Tijjani Reijnders’ opener would be enough for Milan.
Photo: EPA-EFE
“I can only applaud my team for the way they played, unfortunately they were not able to get that bit of luck,” Inter head coach Simone Inzaghi said, adding that he believed his team should have had a penalty in the second half for a foul on Marcus Thuram.
“I can understand the referee not seeing it ... but those who are sat down [in the video assistant referee booth] cannot not call the referee. It’s the third or fourth time it’s happened and it’s starting to annoy me.”
Inter dominated, but Milan hung on to stay eighth, five points behind Juventus, who beat Empoli 4-1 in the day’s early game.
Photo: AFP
For Milan, Netherlands midfielder Reijnders netted his 11th goal of the season on the rebound at the end of a lightning counterattack after Yann Sommer palmed out Rafael Leao’s low cross.
To lose to that goal would have been a sucker punch for dominant Inter, who had three goals chalked off, while Yann Bisseck, Thuram and Denzel Dumfries all hit the post in the second half, but another Dutchman in De Vrij pounced at the death to silence a packed San Siro.
The stadium was dominated by Milan fans, but missed some of its color due to a police ban on pre-match fan displays as part of a crackdown on the hardcore ultra supporters of the two clubs.
Photo: AP
“I don’t think we played very well in possession, we had to be more calm on the ball because there were some opportunities,” Reijnders told DAZN. “If we stay more cool in these kinds of situations we can control the game more, unfortunately that didn’t happen tonight.”
Napoli were on course for an eighth straight win after Roma old boy Leonardo Spinazzola looped home his first goal of the season in the 29th minute in Rome.
Roma, who are ninth, nine points behind Juve, fought back against their fierce rivals and Angelino brought the house down when he crashed home Alexis Saelemaekers’ beautifully floated cross.
That Roma strike could be important for Inter who on Thursday complete their fixture with ACF Fiorentina which was stopped in December last year after Viola midfielder Edoardo Bove’s on-pitch collapse.
Should two teams finish level on points at the top of the league come the end of the season the scudetto would be decided by a playoff between those sides.
“We obviously leave here with a bit of a bitter taste in the mouth because we were leading until the 92nd minute without even being under that much pressure,” Napoli head coach Antonio Conte said. “These things happen, it’s part of a team growing and in the end it’s another point in the bag.”
Inter and Napoli drawing also kept third-placed Atalanta BC’s unprecedented title bid on course, although the provincial upstarts are seven points behind Napoli and four away from Inter.
Juve’s new signing Randal Kolo Muani struck twice in three minutes in the second half in Turin, with Dusan Vlahovic and Francisco Conceicao netting late on with Empoli down to 10 men.
Juve had gone behind early to a header from old boy Mattia de Sciglio.
Sunday’s other Serie A match saw ACF Fiorentina defeat Genoa 2-1.
Additional reporting by staff writer
FRUSTRATION: Alcaraz made several unforced errors over four sets against Bosnian Damir Dzumhur, who had never made it past the third round in a major competition Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz reached the fourth round of the French Open after laboring past Damir Dzumhur 6-1, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 in the Friday night session. The second-seeded Spaniard had never before played Dzumhur, a 33-year-old Bosnian who had never been past the third round at any major tournament. “I suffered quite a lot today,” Alcaraz said. “The first two sets was under control, then he started to play more deeply and more aggressively. It was really difficult for me.” Dzumhur hurt his left knee in a fall in the second round, and had treatment on Friday on his right leg during the
‘DREAM’: The 5-0 victory was PSG’s first Champions League title, and the biggest final win by any team in the 70-year history of the top-flight European competition Paris Saint-Germain won the Champions League for the first time as Luis Enrique’s brilliant young side outclassed Inter on Saturday in the most one-sided final ever with teenager Desire Doue scoring twice in an astonishing 5-0 victory. Doue supplied the pass for Achraf Hakimi to give PSG an early lead and the 19-year-old went from provider to finisher as his deflected shot doubled the advantage in the 20th minute. Doue scored again just after the hour mark, ending any doubt about the outcome before Khvicha Kvaratskhelia ran away to get the fourth and substitute Senny Mayulu, another teenager, made it five. Inter were
The Greek basketball league finals between Panathinaikos and Olympiakos were suspended by the government on Monday following on-court scuffles involving rival security teams. The best-of-five series is at 1-1. The third game, scheduled for today, has been postponed. The owners of both clubs were summoned to meet with the country’s sports minister. They “will be asked to provide explicit guarantees that this situation will be brought to an end. If not, this year’s championship will be definitively canceled,” government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis said. “There can be no tolerance for such pathological phenomena of violence and delinquency.” In online posts, the owners of Panathinaikos and
Defender Steph Catley says her UEFA Women’s Champions League title win with Arsenal last week will act as motivation to secure continental glory with Australia when the country hosts the Women’s Asian Cup next year. Catley and compatriots Caitlin Foord and Kyra Cooney-Cross were part of the Arsenal squad that defeated Barcelona in Lisbon on Sunday last week, before flying to Melbourne to feature in the Matildas’ 2-0 win over Argentina on Friday. The game was the first in a two-match series against the South Americans as the Australians continue preparations for the continental championship in March next year, when they would
RSS