Napoli squander 2-0 lead in 3-2 defeat at Inter

"Coming to San Siro and finding yourselves two goals up..." Napoli winger Politano didn't need to say much more to sum up the night. In the press conference he admitted the regret: "We had to take it home. But it's early in the season, and with a new coach it's normal to struggle." That honesty sits awkwardly next to the way Napoli actually lost the two-goal lead — not a detail to file away under fixture congestion.

On Inter's first goal, the head coach was blunt: "We could have avoided it," he said, before reflecting on the moment the game turned: "When we got the 3-2 wrong, I thought: now they'll punish us." Asked whether the gap came down to the size of Inter's squad, Allegri shut the question down: "Talking about the transfer window doesn't make sense." One line dismissing a subject supporters, with the summer window already closed for days, are still very much debating.

What remains are the words of a team that knows it missed its chance rather than one making excuses. Politano talks of an opportunity to be taken; Allegri admits an avoidable mistake. But on the transfer window, the coach closes a door supporters want left open.