Inter's draw at Juventus opens door for Napoli
Napoli can reclaim the lead of Serie A on Sunday following Inter Milan’s goalless draw at Juventus on Saturday night. Inter boast 40 points after 16 games of the Italian top flight but Napoli will leap into pole position if they beat Fiorentina at the San Paolo stadium.
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On Saturday, Luciano Spalletti's Inter were for long periods second best to Juventus at the Allianz Stadium in Turin. But Mario Mandzukic wasted several opportunities to score for the hosts.
"Leaving Turin with a point and a clean sheet is positive," said Spalletti. "The first 30 minutes were very good. I thought we had the potential to do more, but we gave the ball away because we weren't determined enough in the second half.
"We almost seemed to rest on our laurels and be content with just keeping possession."
Despite Inter's initial domination, Mandzukic could have given Juve the lead as early as the eighth minute when a Juan Cuadrado cross wormed its way through a crowd of defenders, but the Croat shot straight at Inter keeper Samir Handanovic from close range.
Just before the pause, Mandzukic saw a powerful hit the crossbar.
"Inter are top of the table, are a quality team and worked really hard. We were great in the second half and were only lacking a goal," said Juve coach Massimiliano Allegri.
"It's a shame we didn't win, but considering how much we can improve, I am happy with the performance, as Inter are competitive to fight for the title to the end."
However Juve midfielder Miralem Pjanic said the draw felt like a missed opportunity for his side who are hunting for a seventh straight league crown.
"The disappointment of the team in the locker room was evident, as we were the stronger side on the field and didn't take our chances," Pjanic said.
"It's a pity, as we were superior on the night and could've done more to win. I see this as two dropped points, as Inter never really had scoring opportunities."
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