Not even the time to archive the emotions of the Champions League, which is already time to dive back into the championship. The second advance of the 6th day will give us a challenge not suitable for the faint of heart: Inter - Naples in fact, promises entertainment on all fronts (the other match today will be Rome - Atalanta, 18.00). The form of the two teams would suggest a slightly favored Napoli, but the Nerazzurri, after Ranieri's cure, seem to be reborn.
In terms of squad, Inter appear to be even better, also because the Azzurri will miss Matador Cavani, who has already scored 5 goals in this part of the season. On an overall level, however, Napoli will present themselves at the San Siro as competitive as it hasn't happened since the golden years of Maradona and Careca. To tell the truth, not even then did the Milanese stadium reserve great satisfaction for the Azzurri. From 1984 to 1991, despite the presence of the Pibe de oro, the Neapolitans collected only 3 draws in 8 games, and the other 5, ça va sans dire, ended with victories for Inter. Historically, Napoli suffer badly from the Nerazzurri San Siro: in the 72 overall matches played at the Meazza between the championship and the Italian cup, only 7 times have they managed to return home with full loot.
The last victory dates back to December 11, 1994: it finished 0 to 2, with an own goal from Jonk and a goal from Cruz; Ottavio Bianchi sat on the Inter bench, Vujadin Boskov on that of Napoli. The Nerazzurri president was Ernesto Pellegrini, the Neapolitan one Corrado Ferlaino. Other times and above all other football, with all matches being played on Sunday afternoons except one, the evening postponement, which would slowly become a fixed rule throughout Europe.
17 years have passed since then, an eternity in football. It's true, in its ups and downs between Serie B and C, Napoli missed the appointment with San Siro several times, but even in recent seasons, despite an increasingly stronger team, the Milanese stadium has remained taboo. In 2007/2008, the year he returned to Serie A under Reja's orders, he finished 2-1 for Mancini's Inter (two goals from Cruz and a goal from Pampa Sosa), the same result the following year, when on the Nerazzurri bench sat Josè Mourinho (scorers Cordoba, Muntari and Lavezzi).
Worse still on 23/9/2009, when Eto'o, Milito and Lucio closed the match in just 32 minutes (Pocho's goal was useless). Even last season, despite the triumphal ride that ended with the historic qualification for the Champions League, San Siro proved to be fatal: it ended 3-1 for Inter, and Napoli's visit is remembered above all for Leonardo's debut on the Nerazzurri bench. In short, history says that when Inter - Napoli is played at San Siro, the coupon hardly registers the sign 2.
Numbers that smack of cabala for Ranieri's team, almost condemnation for Mazzarri's. History never lies, the Nerazzurri coach must be thinking, while the Neapolitan one dreams of being one of the few capable of changing it. Numbers and curiosities, which will frame the show we will see on the pitch. More reasons not to miss this Inter – Napoli event.
