March 01, (THEWILL) – Philip Billing scored a crucial late equaliser for Napoli in a 1-1 draw with Serie A leaders Inter Milan on Saturday, keeping the title race alive. The Denmark midfielder netted his first goal for the club three minutes from full time at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, maintaining the one-point gap between second-placed Napoli and Inter.
Federico Dimarco had put Inter ahead in the 22nd minute with a spectacular free-kick, and the defending champions looked set to extend their advantage at the top of the table. Inter were forced to defend resolutely for much of the match, with Simone Inzaghi’s side struggling once again to win a critical fixture against direct title rivals.
The equaliser came when Stanislav Lobotka made a determined run through midfield, setting up Billing who converted on the rebound after his initial attempt was saved by Inter goalkeeper Josep Martinez. The 32-year-old Bournemouth loanee, making only his second appearance since joining in January, proved to be the hero for Antonio Conte’s team.
Atalanta missed an opportunity to capitalise on Inter’s dropped points, drawing 0-0 at home against relegation-threatened Venezia. The result left Gian Piero Gasperini’s side in third place, three points behind Inter. Atalanta have now failed to win at home in five consecutive league matches, with their domestic form at their own stadium potentially jeopardising their title ambitions.
Venezia earned a valuable point in their fight for survival but remain five points from safety, with 17th-placed Parma facing Udinese in Saturday’s final fixture. Both Ademola Lookman and Mateo Retegui squandered excellent scoring opportunities for Atalanta, who struggled to break down their determined visitors despite dominating possession.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
