Inter Milan Vs Napoli [2–2] – Serie A 2025/2026: High Pressing, Defensive Gaps & A Costly Stalemate – Tactical Analysis

Inter Milan hosted Napoli for the 19th fixture of Serie A, and the clash ended with a 2-2 draw that keeps Inter Milan at the top of the standings but makes the standings even more challenging for everyone.

With this draw, Napoli are now tied for third with Juventus, knowing the Bianconeri have already played an additional game.

This means that Napoli can confirm their third spot if they win their next game, but they should do more to avoid losing more points, since both Inter Milan and AC Milan now hold the first and second spots.

Napoli played a very ambitious and courageous game, relying on an attacking game plan and man-marking throughout the pitch.

This was initially very successful, but it did not last long after conceding a first goal, which made Napoli’s defence shaky and less confident.

Napolis high pressing could have been successful if they combined it with better defending at the back, and that’s the area of improvement that Napoli needs to focus on for the upcoming game if they plan on using the same strategy going forward.

In this tactical analysis, we examine both teams’ defensive weaknesses and attacking solutions, shedding more light on what prevented them from winning.

Inter Milan Vs Napoli Lineups & Formations

Cristian Chivu started the match using Inter Milan’s usual 3-5-2 formation.

Yann Sommer occupied his usual spot in goal behind Yann Bisseck, Manuel Akanji, and Alessandro Bastoni as the three centre-backs.

Federico Dimarco started the match at left wing-back, while Luis Henrique started at right wing-back.

Piotr Zieliński formed the midfield trio with Hakan Çalhanoğlu and Nicolò Barella as the three central midfielders, with an attacking line made up of the usual duo: Marcus Thuram and Lautaro Martínez.

On the other hand, Antonio Conte started the match in a 3-4-3 formation, with Vanja Milinković-Savić as goalkeeper and a defensive line of Juan Jesus, Amir Rrahmani, and Sam Beukema.

The midfield was composed of Stanislav Lobotka and Scott McTominay as central midfielders, Leonardo Spinazzola and Giovanni Di Lorenzo as wing-backs, with Matteo Politano and Eljif Elmas as wingers and sometimes as advanced playmakers, and Rasmus Højlund as the main striker.

It is important to note that David Neres was absent from this match, which impacted Napoli’s attacking play, and it counts for the team that they were still capable of finding the back of the net against Inter Milan despite the key absences.

Napoli Effective But Risky High-Pressing Plan Vs Inter Milan Defensive Weaknesses

Napoli chose to start the match very competitively and preferred to use an attacking approach to defend against Inter Milan’s potential attacks.

In other words, Napoli applied continuous high pressing on Inter Milan’s players to prevent them from building from the back and to avoid conceding dangerous opportunities.

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