Napoli vs. Inter Milan: Winners and Losers from Serie A Game
Gonzalo Higuain bagged a brace as Napoli moved to the top of Serie A with a thrilling 2-1 victory over Inter Milan on Monday.
Higuain, who leads the league with 12 goals, netted in the second and 62nd minutes to give the hosts a 2-0 lead. Adem Ljajic pulled a goal back for Inter, who hit the woodwork twice in the final minute.
Here, Bleacher Report selects winners and losers from the match.
Winner: Gonzalo Higuain
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He scores when he wants. At least it seems that way for Gonzalo Higuain at the moment.
Higuain found the net twice more for Napoli on Monday, taking his Serie A-best total to 12 on the season. Both goals were typically excellent strikes, and the second turned out to be the winner.
In the second minute, Higuain latched on to the ball in the box before turning and firing a fierce shot past Samir Handanovic at the near post. The Inter goalkeeper had positioned himself well, but Higuain's shot was simply too powerful to stop.
The Argentine doubled Napoli's advantage just after the hour mark, running onto Raul Albiol's header before holding off a pair of defenders and finishing high at the far post.
In this form, it's hard to come up with new superlatives for Higuain, but perhaps the stats paint an adequate picture. According to Infostrada Sports, Alberto Gilardino is the only Serie A player since 2000 who can match Higuain's current run of eight straight home games with a goal.
“It’s a magical night. I am happy for the people, for us. I think it’s deserved and we have to make the most of it, as now we are first,” Higuain told Sky Sport Italia (h/t Football Italia).
He added: "We struggled at the end, [but] Pepe Reina made an extraordinary save and we are happy."
With their top striker in top form, it's no surprise to see Napoli atop the table. And the Partenopei, who haven't lost since August, must fancy their chances of staying there.
Up next in the league is a trip to Bologna before a home date against Napoli. If Higuain continues his current form, who's to say Napoli can't claim a first Scudetto since 1989-90?
Winner: Pepe Reina
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Inter came close to scoring the equalizer twice in the final minute of stoppage time. On the first occasion, Napoli goalkeeper Pepe Reina was beaten. On the second, he produced an outstanding save to preserve the victory.
To see the save from a wide angle, click here. That view shows how difficult the stop was for Reina, who had so much ground to cover before tipping the ball onto the woodwork.
"When you consider context, that's [the] save of the season from Reina," tweeted ESPN FC's Michael Cox.
Earlier in the match, before Inter scored, Reina went past 522 minutes of action without conceding a goal. According to Football Italia, that's better than any goalkeeper in Europe this season.
Loser: Yuto Nagatomo
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Selected at full-back ahead of Alex Telles, Inter's Yuto Nagatomo repaid his manager's faith by senselessly drawing a red card in the first half.
The Japanese defender might have been able to consider himself unlucky on the first booking, which followed a foul on Jose Callejon in the 35th minute. But just nine minutes later, he saw yellow again after clattering into Allan along the touchline.
Having just been booked, Nagatomo had to play more intelligently in that situation. His rash challenge gave the referee no choice. He had to go, and Inter suffered because of it.
Winner: Inter's Fightback
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And yet, despite Nagatomo's dismissal, Inter still made a match of it. Adem Ljajic pulled a goal back in the 67th minute, and the Nerazzurri hit the woodwork twice in the closing moments.
By full time, Inter were by far the more likely team to score. If the game had continued for a few more minutes, you would have fancied the guests to salvage a draw.
For that, Roberto Mancini's men deserve some credit. Inter had to play the entire second half with a numerical disadvantage. But even after falling behind by two goals, they refused to give in.
"Inter go down fighting. Stayed in the game throughout," tweeted BT Sport's James Horncastle. "Showed real character. Down to 10 for 45. Deserved something. Ran into Higuain/Reina."
Defeat meant Inter fell out of first place, but the second-half performance will give the Nerazzurri confidence that they can remain in the title race.
Winner: Napoli's Home Record Against Inter
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Following Monday's victory, Napoli are now unbeaten in 10 home matches in Serie A against Inter Milan, an impressive record.
The dominance stretches back to the previous century. Inter's last win at the Stadio San Paolo was a 2-0 decision in October 1997, with Fabio Galante and Francesco Turrini (own goal) on the scoresheet.
