Billing saves Napoli in draw with Serie A title rivals Inter
Baku, March 2, AZERTAC
Denmark midfielder Billing tapped home his first Napoli goal three minutes from the end at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, and shortly after replacing Billy Gilmour, to keep second-placed Napoli one point behind Inter, AFP reported.
The 32-year-old, on loan from Bournemouth, scored after a driving run from Stanislav Lobotka, pouncing on the rebound when his first effort was saved by Inter goalkeeper Josep Martinez.
Up to that point, it had looked like Federico Dimarco's stunning free-kick in the 22nd minute would be enough for Inter to strike a huge blow in their bid to retain the Scudetto.
"There's a bit of disappointment because we played well against a good team. It's pointless trying to hide it, Inter are a very, very good team and the one to beat," said Napoli coach Antonio Conte.
"Playing the way we did against should help us understand that if we want to... we can have a say.
"Anyone who said at the start of the season that we'd be a point off the top with 11 matches remaining would have been sectioned."
Simone Inzaghi's Inter were on the back foot for much of the match and needed some desperate defending as they tried to escape Naples with all three points.
But Inzaghi was again frustrated by his team failing to win a big match, something that his players have struggled to do this season after dominating the division from start to finish last term.
"You need to be perfect in the big matches and we weren't perfect. We were too slow to react on their goal," said Inzaghi.
Inzaghi was hampered by both Dimarco and Hakan Calhanoglu having to leave the field injured shortly after half-time, with Marcus Thuram also having to be replaced by Joaquin Correa in his first match after recovering from an ankle injury.
"I'm not sure how I am, we'll find out more tomorrow," said Italy wing-back Dimarco who confirmed he has a hamstring problem.
"I could already feel something midway through the first half. I tried to carry on after half time but I couldn't run and I didn't want to risk anything."
Inter could not have met Napoli at a better time, as Antonio Conte's team had conceded the initiative with three points from their four matches in February after previously looking like storming to a second title in three seasons.
But Inter's dogged rearguard action, which featured a series of last-ditch lunging tackles and hefty clearances, was finally broken by Billing, who saved his new team in his second appearance since signing in January.
Billing's late leveller also gave a reprieve to Atalanta who failed to win at home for the fifth straight time in Italy's top flight and stay third, three points behind Inter.
Gian Piero Gasperini's side are still in the fight but have not won in front of their own fans in domestic competition since the turn of the year and missed a chance to join Inter at the top before the title clash in Naples.
"We were hoping to be first and the boys gave everything but this is a difficult period for everyone, you can see that with how the other teams (at the top) are doing," said Gasperini.
Davide Zappacosta went closest to breaking the deadlock five minutes before half-time when he clipped the outside of the post after great work from Ademola Lookman.
Lookman had wasted a great chance one-on-one with Venezia goalkeeper Ionut Radu moments before, and the Nigeria forward also smashed over from inches out in the 82nd minute.
The surprise draw gave Venezia a small boost in their bid to stay up, but Eusebio Di Francesco's team are five points from Parma, who sit just outside the relegation zone after losing 1-0 at Udinese in Saturday's late fixture.
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