Player Ratings: Napoli 1-1 Inter – Italy stars not enough for defending champions | OneFootball

Italy internationals Federico Dimarco and Alessandro Bastoni stood out in Inter’s 1-1 draw against Napoli, but the Partenopei deserved to get one point thanks to Philip Billing’s late equaliser.

It was a thrilling match at the Stadio Maradona, which left the Serie A title race wide open, with Inter still leading the Partenopei by one point at the top of the table.

Dimarco opened the account with a marvellous free kick at minute 22, but Napoli’s reaction and perseverance throughout the 90 minutes allowed them to earn a deserved draw.

The defending champions were forced to sit back after Dimarco’s opener, and a stunning Bastoni block prevented Lukaku from scoring a classic Goal dell’ex.

The Partenopei dominated possession, with Billy Gilmour playing in place of Philip Billing, who had started against Como last week.

NAPLES, ITALY – MARCH 01: Scott Mctominay of Napoli competes for the ball with Denzel Dumfries of Inter during the Serie A match between Napoli and FC Internazionale at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on March 01, 2025 in Naples, Italy. (Photo by Francesco Pecoraro/Getty Images)

The Denmark international took centre stage anyway, scoring a vital goal as a substitute in the final minutes.

Romelu Lukaku kept his former teammates busy with his physicality and linked up well with Giacomo Raspadori, but Napoli often missed the final pass at the edge of the box. The same goes for Matteo Politano down the right flank, as the Italian’s pace allowed him to get into the attacking areas quite often but not produce dangerous crosses.

The home side eventually levelled the score with a quick transition led by Stanislav Lobotka and finalised by Billing.

Napoli vs Inter player ratings

Napoli: Meret 6; Di Lorenzo 6, Rrahmani 6, Buongiorno 6.5; Politano 6 (82′ Ngonge 6), Gilmour 6.5 (79′ Billing 7), Lobotka 7, McTominay 6.5, Spinazzola 5.5 (82′ Olivera 6); Raspadori 6 (76′ Okafor 6.5), Lukaku 6. Coach: Conte 6.5.

Best Napoli players: Billing and Lobotka 7 – The midfield pair teamed up to produce a deserved Napoli equaliser in the dying minutes. The Bournemouth loanee showed further improvements with his physicality and tough tackles.

Lowest Napoli rating: Spinazzola 5.5 – The Italian is not in his best shape after a recent injury. His attacking production was disappointing, but he worked hard defensively down the left flank.

Napoli coach: Conte 6.5—Napoli remain in the title race after a hard-fought performance that entirely mirrors the coach’s personality. Conte also made the right substitution with one of the reserves, Billing, scoring a decisive goal.

Inter: Josep Martinez 7; Bisseck 6.5, Acerbi 6.5, Bastoni 7.5 (80′ De Vrij 5.5); Dumfries 6, Barella 6.5, Calhanoglu 6 (51′ Zielinski 5.5), Mkhitaryan 6 (80′ Frattesi 5.5), Dimarco 7.5 (51′ Pavard 6.5); Lautaro Martinez 6, M Thuram 5.5 (65′ Correa 5.5). Coach: Inzaghi.

Best Inter players: Dimarco and Bastoni 7.5 – One opened the account with a stunning free-kick. The other one, was perfect defensively, especially with two timely interventions inside the box to deny Lukaku and Politano.

Lowest Inter rating: Thuram 5.5 – The France international returned from an ankle injury and was unable to stretch Napoli’s defence with his usual sprints. He was subbed off in the second half.

Inter coach: Inzaghi 5.5 – Probably relied too much on Inter’s defensive strength. The Nerazzurri sat too deep and too early. Dimarco’s injury in the second half didn’t help either, as three other wing-backs, Carlos Augusto, Nicola Zalewski, and Matteo Darmian, were already out of action.