Livid Antonio Conte screams in fourth official's face after being sent off at Inter but two-goal Scott McTominay steals a point for Napoli in Serie A thriller

Inter took the lead in the ninth minute of the game, with Federico Dimarco driving home from a difficult angle, but McTominay equalised shortly before the half-hour mark with a close range finish. The biggest flashpoint came when the contest entered the final 20 minutes, as Amir Rrahmani conceded a penalty after a nasty-looking challenge on Henrikh Mkhitaryan.

Conte was incensed by the decision to award the penalty after a VAR review, smashing a stray ball upfield, and the referee showed no hesitation in sending the Italian coach off. The situation escalated from there, though, as Conte squared up to the fourth official and shouted angrily in his face, before being forcibly removed from the touchline area.

Hakan Calhanoglu scored from the spot to restore Inter's lead, but McTominay had the final say, volleying low into the net after meeting a cut-back from Noa Lang. 

According to Sport Mediaset, Conte repeatedly screamed "shame on you all" on his way down the tunnel. He will now face a touchline ban, but will likely be pleased with the final result at San Siro, which keeps his team in the title hunt. Inter remain top of the Serie A table on 43 points, three ahead of second-placed AC Milan and four clear of defending champions Napoli. 

Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis took to social media to engage with fans after the game, but chose to focus on the performance of the team instead of Conte's explosive actions.

He wrote: “Wonderful match! Fabulous Napoli. With the 9 players who have been absent for much of the season, what would Napoli have achieved by now?”

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McTominay was named Serie A's Most Valuable Player after spearheading Napoli's title charge last season, and has been equally as influential so far in 2025-26. The former Manchester United man's brace against Inter took him to eight goals in 27 appearances across all competitions, an especially impressive total considering he has often filled in as a defensive midfielder due to an injury crisis, and he has also laid on four assists.

McTominay and Napoli will be back in action on Wednesday at home to Parma, before playing host to Sassuolo on January 17. Conte's side will then start gearing up for a trip to Copenhagen in the Champions League, where they will need a victory to stay in the mix for a spot in the round of 16 playoffs.