Inter Milan Fightback vs. Napoli Augurs Well for Under-Fire Walter Mazzarri

A 2-2 draw might not have been the result Inter Milan were looking for at home to Napoli, but the fact they fought back twice to draw level in the game at least augers well for coach Walter Mazzarri.

Napoli went ahead twice through Jose Callejon but were pulled back on each occasion thanks to Fredy Guarin and Hernanes.

The Nerazzurri manager has been under fire recently as his side has failed to perform consistently in Serie A this season.

Following the Napoli draw, Mazzarri's team only have two wins from seven league games this campaign, though the manner in which the Inter players upped their intensity towards the end of a difficult game shows they are still willing to battle hard for their under-fire coach.

There is still plenty to work on at Inter, but there may be some light at the end of the tunnel.

The volatile coach was sent to the stands for encroaching on the field of play and was too emotional to attend the post-match press conference.

Once again, the performance against Napoli showed problems persist in attack, midfield and defence.

Mazzarri's regular starting back three have regularly looked vulnerable.

Juan Jesus has been the pick of the bunch. Andrea Ranocchia, however, often has lapses in concentration which can cost his side, and Nemanja Vidic is still struggling to adapt to life in Italian football.

The big Serb is still a fearsome defender in one-on-one situations, but he continues to make inexplicable errors. He was partially at fault for Napoli's first goal when he inadvertently flicked the ball onto the feet of Callejon, though Dodo can also be blamed for losing his man.

In the middle of the park, Mazzari can't seem to find exactly the right balance. Brazilian playmaker Hernanes put in his best display of 2014-15 against the southerners, though Mateo Kovacic's form suffered a dip in this game.

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Inter coach Walter Mazzarri & his assistant. These aren't the easiest instructions to follow, we'd imagine... https://t.co/LSWGYGJRzZ

— Squawka Football (@Squawka) October 19, 2014"

Up front, in recent weeks Mauro Icardi has not looked anywhere near as lethal as he did in the early part of the season, and Rodrigo Palacio, who contributed 17 Serie A goals in 2013-14, is yet to find the net in the current campaign. 

Dani Osvaldo, with four goals, is the only form striker at the moment. If the two men who started at the San Siro Stadium on Sunday had been sharper in the area, the game could have been wrapped up by half-time.

That brings us to the positives.

Inter did dominate a fairly turgid first half. Had the forwards not been wasteful in front of goal, they could have taken a healthy lead into the break.

Mazzarri can also take credit for making the substitution which sparked his side's fightback. Guarin showed the kind of intensity up front which had previously been lacking and found the net moments after coming onto the pitch.

Best of all, Nerazzurri shoulders did not slump when they were hurt on the scoreboard not once, but twice.

Each time they pushed forward even harder, and each time they were able to respond with a goal. One point at home after two consecutive league losses is not ideal, but a losing result would have been so much more damaging.

Though Mazzarri will still be feeling the pressure, he can take some encouragement from his players' showing against Napoli.