Napoli laid out their title credentials in style
with a 3-0 win over 10-man Inter Milan at the San Siro
taking them to the top of Serie A.
A red card for Joel Obi and a dubious penalty decision
in the 43rd minute helped Walter Mazzarri's side on
their way to all three points as Claudio Ranieri saw
his side lose for the first time since he took charge.
Marek Hamsik missed the spot-kick but Hugo Campagnaro
scored the rebound and further goals from Christian
Maggio and Hamsik in the second half earned Napoli all
three points.
The result took them two points clear at the top and
left Inter just one point above the bottom three.
Diego Forlan sent in the first shot of the game in
the 13th minute, but his 30-yard effort was slightly
off target to the right of the goal.
Giampaolo Pazzini had the ball in the back of the net
in the 24th minute, but the goal was rightly ruled out
for offside.
The complexion of the game then changed with a controversial
decision in the 43rd minute.
There was no doubt about Obi making contact with Maggio
as he entered the penalty area, but the foul appeared
to have been committed outside the box.
The referee Gianluca Rocchi thought differently, though,
and pointed to the spot, showing Obi a second yellow
card to reduce the home side to 10 men.
Hamsik's penalty was pushed away by Julio Cesar, but
Campagnaro was the first to the loose ball and he beat
the Inter goalkeeper inside his near post.
Inter's players were infuriated by Rocchi's penalty
decision and no fewer than four yellow cards were shown
in the last few minutes of the half, with Ranieri being
sent to the stands as he confronted Rocchi at the interval.
Inter simply did not have the strength to make a fight
of it in the second half with one man less and Napoli
took control of the game.
Maggio doubled their lead in the 56th minute when he
stole in to take advantage of confusion between Yuto
Nagatomo and Julio Cesar, and he lifted the ball into
the unguarded goal.
Juan Zuniga somehow lifted the ball over an open goal
from six yards in the 66th minute before Hamsik, who
had created that chance, added the third.
He latched onto a pass from Ezequiel Lavezzi and made
no mistake with just Julio Cesar to beat.
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