- Hakan Calhanoglu scored a stunning long-range equalizer but missed a penalty in Inter’s 1-1 draw with Napoli.
- The penalty miss ended a streak of 19 successful penalties for Calhanoglu, dating back to his time at Inter.
- Napoli remains top of Serie A with 26 points, while Inter, Atalanta, Fiorentina, and Lazio are all on 25.
- The match saw tense moments, including a yellow card for Inter coach Simone Inzaghi and a late miss by Napoli’s Giovanni Simeone.
Hakan Calhanoglu’s rollercoaster performance helped Inter Milan secure a 1-1 draw at home against Serie A leaders Napoli on Sunday, but a missed penalty prevented them from claiming all three points.
The 30-year-old Turkish midfielder, who had been flawless from the penalty spot for Inter, redeemed an earlier Napoli goal with a stunning long-range strike. However, Calhanoglu’s penalty miss in the 74th minute—a shot that struck the post—ended his streak of 19 successful penalties, marking his first miss for Inter and his first in a competitive match since November 2016, when he played for Bayer Leverkusen.
The draw leaves Napoli top of the table on 26 points, just one point ahead of Inter, Atalanta, Fiorentina, and Lazio, who are all tied on 25 points. Despite his personal disappointment, Calhanoglu remained philosophical about the miss.
“We dominated the game and deserved more,” he said after the match. “We were unlucky. I’m sorry I missed the penalty, but I knew eventually it would happen—I just didn’t want it to happen today.”
Inter began the match brightly but fell behind in the 23rd minute when Scott McTominay seized on a corner that was flicked on and poked the ball past goalkeeper Yann Sommer. Just before halftime, however, Calhanoglu equalized with a powerful strike from outside the box, beating Napoli keeper Alex Meret to the top corner.
In the second half, Inter took control, pressing Napoli relentlessly. Federico Dimarco came close to putting Inter ahead with a powerful shot that rattled the post. Meanwhile, tensions flared when Inter coach Simone Inzaghi received a booking for protesting in the 55th minute.
The decisive moment came in the 74th minute when Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa fouled Denzel Dumfries in the box, awarding Inter a penalty. Calhanoglu, however, could not convert, sending his effort onto the post. In the dying moments of the match, Napoli nearly stole the win, but Giovanni Simeone blazed a shot over the bar from inside the box.
