With his incredible twelfth league goal of the season, Scott McTominay put Napoli ahead 1-0 at the Diego Maradona. Inter Milan had taken the lead against Como through a header from Stefan de Vrij, but Como custodian Pepe Reina was controversially sent off in the first half for denying an obvious goalscoring opportunity in his final professional appearance, allowing the Nerazzurri to complete their portion of the requirements to pass Napoli and win the Serie A title. However, Napoli led at half
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An otherwise dominant Napoli displayed some desperation in the penalty area after consecutive draws put them within Inter’s grasp if they make a mistake at home on a night with two title deciders, despite a largely calm first forty-five minutes against Cagliari elsewhere on the pitch.
However, Lancastrian McTominay calmly weighed his choices in the 42nd minute and sprang to his feet to guide Politano’s ball past Cagliari custodian Alen Sherri and into the box.
After spending the majority of the half flinging their bodies in front of shots to keep the Neapolitans at bay, Cagliari ended the game without a single shot.
During their penultimate Serie A games, Antonio Conte and Simone Inzaghi were banished to the stands, leaving both Napoli and Inter without their head coaches in the dugouts.
With both victories, Napoli would move up to 82 points, ahead of Inter on 81, and win their fourth league championship—their second since the heyday of Diego Maradona.
How the new prince of Naples, Scott McTominay, came to be
Although McTominay, 28, won’t be as successful as El Diego, he was already well-liked in Naples prior to his goal against Cagliari.
He has been praised as a “genius” for his impact on the pitch this season, and his popularity in the city rose after his previous 11 and a series of impressive midfield performances near the conclusion of the season.
McTominay strengthened that civic affection by volleying in the first goal on such a significant night and pulled within one goal of Romelu Lukaku, the top scorer.
Since departing Manchester United last summer, the Scotland international has contributed directly to 16 Serie A goals.
McTominay will win his first league title if Napoli wins.
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