Inter face Napoli test: Chivu seeks breakthrough in big games | OneFootball

After seven consecutive victories, the Nerazzurri want to break the big match taboo: last year, the draws with Napoli weighed heavily in the title race.

Inter, the litmus test in Naples: Chivu seeks a breakthrough in direct clashes

Saturday evening at the Diego Armando Maradona will host one of the first real title clashes of the season: Napoli-Inter. A match that comes at a time of contrasting form for the two teams — the Azzurri coming off a heavy 6-0 defeat in Eindhoven, the Nerazzurri buoyed by a 4-0 win against Union SG in the Champions League — but with the same stakes: the top of Serie A.

For Cristian Chivu's Inter, the challenge represents much more than a game: it's a test to see if the problems in direct confrontations, which cost them dearly last season, have truly been overcome.

The painful precedents: two decisive draws

Last season, the two encounters with Napoli left deep scars. The first, played on November 10, saw the Nerazzurri chasing after McTominay's lead: Calhanoglu equalized but missed a decisive penalty for a potential comeback.

In the return match, the disappointment was even greater. Inter, ahead with Dimarco, seemed able to close the game, but three minutes from the end, Billing stunned Simone Inzaghi's team by scoring the 1-1.

Two points lost that, combined with other unfortunate episodes — like the draw with Lazio on the last day — ended up weighing in the race for a title lost by just one point. Those episodes highlighted the main limitation of Inter 2024/25: the difficulty in asserting themselves in big matches.

The Chivu era and the new mental approach

With Cristian Chivu on the bench, Inter seems to have regained solidity and conviction. Seven consecutive victories between league and cup have relaunched the Nerazzurri in every competition. However, the Romanian coach knows well that the leap in quality comes from direct confrontations.

Last year, in fact, Inter did not win a single match against Napoli, Milan, or Juventus. This year, the journey began with a spectacular 3-4 loss against the Bianconeri and the subsequent 1-0 victory over Roma, a match in which the Giallorossi created several chances in the final minutes.

Naples thus becomes a test of maturity, not only technically but also psychologically: an opportunity to show that the team has learned to handle pressure and key moments.

Napoli-Inter, balance and high stakes

Both Inter and Napoli come to the clash with 15 points in the standings and declared ambitions for the title. The difference could be made by mental management, an element that Chivu considers fundamental.

For the Nerazzurri, paradoxically, the pressure is greater: winning would mean continuing the positive streak and confirming that past uncertainties have been definitively put to rest. For Napoli, instead, it is an opportunity to react after the European setback and show that the group is still united around Antonio Conte.

The key: solidity and concreteness

Chivu's Inter has so far impressed with its balance between offensive and defensive phases, but the coach wants a further step forward in managing top-level matches. The Maradona challenge will be a crucial test: winning would mean sending a clear message to the league, definitively closing the chapter on last year's weaknesses.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇮🇹 here.