Napoli’s perfect run ends while Jadon Sancho makes Dortmund debut
Napoli’s perfect start to Serie A finally came to an end in an enthralling 0-0 home draw with Internazionale, the only other unbeaten side in the Italian top flight. There were plenty of chances at the San Paolo, and the goalkeeper Samir Handanovic was kept busier than his Napoli counterpart Pepe Reina.
It was the first time since April and a 2-2 draw at Sassuolo that Napoli failed to win in Serie A but they remain top, two points above Inter and six above Juventus and Lazio.
Inter were full of confidence after Mauro Icardi’s hat trick helped them win last week’s derby against Milan, but they hadn’t won in Naples in 20 years. Napoli almost went in front but Handanovic pulled off a stunning double save to deny José Callejón and then keep out Dries Mertens’ rebound from point-blank range.
Handanovic then kept out an effort from Insigne following a great ball over the top from Marek Hamsik. Inter went close shortly before half-time but Reina did well to fingertip Borja Valero’s close-range attempt over the bar. Mertens should have won the match for Napoli in the final minute but Handanovic was again on hand to keep out his close-range volley.
Sampdoria, meanwhile, demolished Crotone 5-0 to sit two points behind Juventus and Lazio with a game in hand.
Jadon Sancho became the first Englishman to play for Borussia Dortmund when the 17-year-old forward was brought on during the Bundesliga leaders’ 2-2 draw against Eintracht Frankfurt.
Elsewhere, champions Bayern Munich drew level with Dortmund on 20 points after Corentin Tolisso struck in the 52nd minute to secure a 1-0 win at Hamburg. RB Leipzig are in third position, one point behind, after they edged past VfB Stuttgart 1-0.
The former Manchester City winger Sancho came on as a late substitute after Dortmund let slip a two-goal lead and almost scored the winner but his effort was saved by Lukas Hradecky. Sancho, who joined the German club in August for a fee reported to be in the region of £8m, had only recently returned from the Under-17 World Cup, where he starred for England in the group stage before being recalled to his club.
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Earlier, the midfielder Nuri Sahin gave the visitors a 19th-minute lead when he pounced on a cut-back from Marc Bartra. The Bundesliga’s top scorer, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, should have made it 2-0 in the 51st minute but his shot from 10 yards flew over the bar.
The 23-year-old Maximilian Philipp soon made amends, underlining his status as one of the rising stars of German football with his fifth goal of the season.
Dortmund, who lost to Leipzig last week and then drew at Apoel Nicosia in the Champions League, looked on track for a comfortable win but Eintracht suddenly turned the game around.
Sébastien Haller converted a penalty in the 64th minute and Marius Wolf brought the hosts level when he fired in off the post in the 68th to leave Dortmund stunned.
Bayer Leverkusen fell a goal behind but then scored five times, with five different players, in the second half to crush Borussia Mönchengladbach 5-1 and climb to ninth on 12 points.