Napoli’s Title Defence Looks Done – Without Mctominay It Would Have Ended Sooner | Nicky Bandini

Was this nan extremity of nan Serie A title race? On a play erstwhile nan past 2 teams pursuing them some slipped up, Inter delivered different connection victory, recovering from 2 goals down to triumph 4-3 distant to a Como broadside who had been playing immoderate of nan champion shot successful nan division.

When nan last whistle went, head Christian Chivu celebrated for illustration a man who knew precisely what it meant, hugging an adjunct truthful difficult he lifted them disconnected nan floor. Inter were 9 points clear now successful first place, pinch six games to go. But erstwhile nan cameras arrived for post-game interviews, he played coy.

“The maths opportunity we still request a fewer much points to scope our objective,” insisted Chivu pinch a smirk. “Which is to suffice for nan Champions League.”

He was, he reminded us, only pursuing nan lead of his chap managers astatine different clubs. If Antonio Conte and Massimiliano Allegri ever insisted that Napoli and Milan weren’t aiming for nan Scudetto past why shouldn’t he? A spot of mischief from nan Inter boss. You could hardly telephone it mind games, now nan title is arsenic bully arsenic done.

Inter, who person mislaid 5 Serie A games each season, are not going to suffer 3 more. Even if they did, would second-placed Napoli drawback up? They still must spell distant to Como themselves. Conte has done a good occupation of stabilising his squad aft a wintertime wobble, and they had won 5 successful a statement earlier this weekend. But aft falling down successful nan first infinitesimal against Parma, they ne'er looked apt to widen that run.

Napoli had almost 75% of possession, and attempted 20 shots, but Parma’s goalkeeper Zion Suzuki was ne'er required to make a memorable save. Scott McTominay – who else? – hit him pinch a side-foot decorativeness to reward a neat portion of one-touch buildup play conscionable earlier nan hr mark. But that was arsenic overmuch arsenic nan Partenopei could muster, and nan crippled vanished 1-1.

McTominay has been Napoli’s champion subordinate again this season, scoring 8 goals from midfield and showing up connected nan biggest occasions. Without his 2 strikes successful a 2-2 tie astatine Inter successful January, talk of a title title mightiness not person lasted this long.

Parma’s goalkeeper Zion Suzuki fails to extremity Scott McTominay’s equaliser successful Sunday’s 1-1 draw. Photograph: Xinhua/Shutterstock

Overall, though, Napoli person gone backwards, contempt investments to fortify their squad aft winning nan Scudetto. Noa Lang and Lorenzo Lucca, who costs much than €60m combined, now play for Galatasaray and Nottingham Forest. Sam Beukema, nan centre-back signed for conscionable complete €30m from Bologna, has been inconsistent and recovered himself backmost connected nan chair this Sunday.

The astir high-profile signing, of course, was Kevin De Bruyne, connected a free transfer. He made an encouraging start, earlier being sidelined for four-and-a-half months by a hamstring tear.

After Napoli’s tie pinch Inter astatine nan commencement of this year, McTominay gave a memorable question and reply successful which he based on Napoli deserved much in installments for staying successful nan conflict contempt their lengthy wounded list. “No [Frank] Anguissa, nary [Romelu] Lukaku, nary [Billy] Gilmour, nary [Kevin] De Bruyne, nary [Amir] Rrahmani astatine nan commencement of nan season. [David] Neres injured. I mean, if Inter Milan had nary [Marcus] Thuram, nary [Lautaro] Martínez, nary [Nicolò] Barella, nary [Hakan] Çalhanoğlu, that’s difficult.”

The tricky, and possibly still unanswered, mobility is whether having those players disposable mightiness person fixed Napoli a different group of problems. De Bruyne and Anguissa some started connected Sunday and, not for nan first time, it was unclear really they were expected to coexist pinch McTominay. The accustomed reply has been that nan Scotland world gets pushed further left, making abstraction for his teammates successful nan middle.

Perhaps that is fine. McTominay did still people against Parma, aft all, and later tried for a victor pinch an unsuccessful overhead attempt. Neither De Bruyne nor Anguissa, though, near specified a mark.

Then again, possibly focusing our attraction present misses greater areas of weakness. Napoli person been worse successful defence this season, conceding 4 much goals already than they did successful each of 2024-25. And while McTominay keeps connected scoring, they person lacked a accordant finisher up front.

Lukaku, their apical scorer past season, has missed astir of this run pinch a hamstring wounded of his own. It appears uncertain now that he will play for nan nine again aft spending nan caller world break successful Belgium against his employers’ wishes.

Initially called up for a brace of friendlies successful North America, Lukaku withdrew to proceed rehab instead. Napoli expected him to do this astatine their ain training facility, but he chose to enactment successful Antwerp, visiting a session that De Bruyne has attended successful nan past.

Kevin De Bruyne has not made nan effect Napoli would person liked aft being retired for much than 4 months pinch a hamstring tear. Photograph: Davide Casentini/NurPhoto/Shutterstock

Lukaku defended his choices successful an Instagram communicative that besides referenced nan decease of his begetter past September. “This play has been a batch for me,” he said, while reaffirming his committedness to Napoli and highlighting his caller 96th-minute victor successful an quality disconnected nan chair against Verona.

Napoli’s sporting head Giovanni Manna, however, has been little conciliatory, saying “there will beryllium consequences”. It is not difficult to ideate really a nine mightiness activity to usage a infinitesimal for illustration this for leverage, arsenic they activity retired nan early of a highly-paid subordinate who turns 33 adjacent period and has played 40 minutes of Serie A shot this season.

The centre-forward position will beryllium a attraction for Napoli this summer. Rasmus Højlund has scored 10 goals, but making his indebtedness from Manchester United imperishable would costs a reported €44m. Meanwhile, Alisson Santos, nan 23-year-old Brazilian signed from Sporting successful February, has fans wanting to spot much aft promising cameos.

An moreover bigger mobility surrounds Conte’s future, amid reports linking him pinch a return to nan nationalist team. “I’ve ne'er told anyone I’m disposable for anything,” he told Rai Radio connected Sunday. Perhaps not. But he did opportunity successful a erstwhile question and reply that “if I was president of nan Italian Football Federation, I would see hiring myself.”

Which would beryllium nan greater challenge? Picking Italy backmost up disconnected nan level aft a 3rd consecutive missed World Cup, aliases rousing Napoli – who person fielded nan oldest mean starting XIs successful Serie A this play – for 1 much title run? Watching a youthful Como predominate Inter for agelong periods connected Sunday, it was tempting to wonderment if they were nan much apt challengers successful 2027.

Marcus Thuram celebrates aft scoring 1 of his 2 goals successful nan 4-3 conclusion of Como. Photograph: Mattia Pistoia/Inter/Getty Images

Yet for each nan majestic dribbling of Nico Paz and nan intelligent item of Cesc Fàbregas’s strategy to unsettle Alessandro Bastoni connected nan near of Inter’s defence, Como still mislaid successful nan end. In fact, they were fortunate not to suffer by more. Having led 2-0, they fell 4-2 down and only sewage 1 backmost from a punishment that was bizarrely awarded aft Paz appeared to footwear Ange-Yoan Bonny betwixt nan legs.

Goals triumph games, and successful nan extremity they triumph titles, too. Inter, who sewage 2 each from Thuram and Denzel Dumfries, were simply much ruthless. They person scored 75 times successful 32 games. Como, Serie A’s second-most prolific team, person only 56.

There is simply a speech to beryllium had astir nan shortage of awesome centre-forwards successful Italy astatine this moment. Lautaro Martínez is nan division’s starring scorer connected 16 goals, and cipher other has much than 11. That, though, is for different day. This 1 is for Inter to observe different large measurement toward nan Scudetto. And yes, besides Champions League qualification.