Simone Inzaghi conceded runaway Serie A leaders Napoli are unreachable for Inter after expressing disappointment for a wasteful performance at Sampdoria.
Inter trail the in-form Napoli by 15 points at the Italian top-flight summit after being held to a goalless draw by strugglers Sampdoria on Monday at the Luigi Ferraris Stadium.
The Nerazzurri attempted 25 shots in a one-sided contest, the first time Inter have recorded as many shots without scoring in a Serie A match since February 2022 (29 at home to Sassuolo).
Inzaghi's side have failed to score in two of their past four Serie A matches, as many times as in their previous 31 matches in the competition, and the Inter head coach acknowledged his team's shortfalls.
"It's normal to be disappointed, we wanted another result – we didn't underestimate the game," he told DAZN. "We had a good first half, less the second.
"There were many chances created against a team that gave everything on the pitch. We had to make the most of them.
"There is regret because the boys played the match in the right way, playing it as we had prepared for it. We had to be calmer and capitalise on the opportunities better."
When asked if Luciano Spalletti's Napoli were uncatchable, Inzaghi responded: "Definitely that, but we have to look only at our progress.
"We came from three victories in a row and tonight we wanted to achieve a different result. There is a lot of bitterness as it should be."
Lautaro Martinez spurned a glorious last-minute opportunity after a scramble inside the area, with second-bottom Sampdoria hanging on for a vital point.
The Argentina international attempted six shots without finding the net, the most efforts he has managed in a match without scoring in Serie A since facing Sampdoria on May 22 last year.
But Inzaghi was not unhappy with what he saw from his strikers Martinez and Romelu Lukaku before a late cameo from veteran Edin Dzeko.
"Lukaku is working a lot more and more every day, he needs playing time," he added. "Lautaro and Dzeko are doing great things.
"Tonight [Lukaku] held the ball well, he could have scored with a dirtier shot then he dropped a bit in the second half."
Lukaku and Nicolo Barella could be seen arguing in a frustrating first half, with the striker waving his finger at the Italy international after a disagreement.
"They had this squabble in front of my bench, these are things I don't like but we talked about it at the end of the first half and it was all already resolved," Inzaghi continued.
"But it certainly shouldn't happen again because it's not a pretty sight. They are things on the pitch, probably with a victory would not have even been talked about."
Tuchel bemoans lack of focus as Bayern slump to final-day defeat
Departing Bayern Munich coach Thomas Tuchel was unhappy with his team's lack of focus following their 4-2 loss at Hoffenheim on Saturday.
Bayern threw away a two-goal lead, condemning them to a third-place finish behind unbeaten Bayern Leverkusen and Stuttgart
After failing to win the Bundesliga title for a 12th consecutive season, Tuchel's side will also go without domestic or European silverware for the first time in more than a decade.
"We started really well, but then we had a string of individual mistakes," Tuchel said in a short press conference.
The coach is leaving Bayern after just over a year in charge after the club announced his departure in February. There had been talks to potentially reverse that decision last week, but no agreement was reached.
"In the second half we played well for 15 minutes, but then it was again a series of individual mistakes and loss of possession," Tuchel said. "We gave away a two-goal lead for a completely unnecessary and bitter defeat."
Despite a string of injury absences, Bayern were 2-0 up by the sixth minute but Hoffenheim scored four times, including an Andrej Kramaric hat-trick in the second half to turn the game around.
"It happens far too often, like that. It happened in Stuttgart where we conceded two late goals [for a 3-1 defeat]. In Heidenheim, the same [for a 3-2 loss]. Here the same. It just happens too often," Tuchel added.
"I have an explanation for that, but it is not for the public."
Bayern's Aleksandar Pavlovic, who is part of Germany's preliminary Euro 2024 squad, went off injured early in the match and will undergo further tests.
"He twisted his ankle. We will have to wait and see what the checks show," Tuchel said.
Man City will come back fighting after WSL title loss - Taylor
Gareth Taylor says that Manchester City will "come back fighting" after losing out on the Women’s Super League title on the final day.
City beat Aston Villa 2-1 thanks to goals from Mary Fowler and Lauren Hemp on Saturday, but ultimately fell just short, missing out to Chelsea on goal difference.
Emma Hayes led the Blues to a fifth consecutive WSL title with a 6-0 thrashing of Manchester United at Old Trafford, having made up their inferior goal difference with an equally impressive 8-0 win over Bristol City two weeks ago.
Taylor has reflected on a "mix of emotions" after narrowly missing out on being champions.
Speaking to BBC Sport after the game, he said: "I feel really proud of the team's performance. The mad thing is we could have maybe scored double figures today quite easily. That's the difference.
"To win 18 games in the season and still come up short is not easy but we have. It's been a big push from the team, we've worked incredibly hard, and we'll come back fighting."
When asked what lessons City can take from this season, Taylor added: "We need to improve in all areas. We have to have potentially better options from the sidelines. I think that's really key.
"I'm so enthusiastic about the way we played today. A lot of the stuff we did was really good. That's what inspires me to get up in the morning and fight for next season's title."
Goalkeeper Khiara Keating became the youngest-ever Golden Glove winner in her breakout season, as the 19-year-old kept nine clean sheets in 22 league games and conceded just 15 goals in total.
While disappointed about Saturday’s outcome, Keating looked back on the highlights of her season.
She said: "Obviously we are disappointed. We wanted to go out and win a trophy today. We knew what we had to do, and we didn't quite get it done.
"Hopefully next season in the Champions League we can show what we're about and go and win some trophies.
"From a personal point of view, my breakout season had a lot to prove at the start of the season, everyone was kind of.. Not doubting but wondering what I'd be like. I hope I've shown everyone what I can do.
"Gaz [Taylor] put his faith in me to go and play how I play and that is what I needed to go out there and do what I did this season."
Swiatek seals Italian Open hat-trick after soaring past Sabalenka
Iga Swiatek stormed to her third Italian Open title following a dominant 6-2 6-3 victory over Aryna Sabalenka.
The world number one took just under an hour-and-a-half to deny the world number two, and complete a hat-trick of triumphs in Rome.
The pair were contesting a second final in as many events, with Swiatek saving three championship points before eventually prevailing in the Madrid Open showpiece a fortnight ago.
However, it was one-way traffic this time around. The Pole converted two out of three break points as she controlled the opening set.
Sabalenka was the last player to deny Swiatek in a WTA final, that coming at last year's Madrid Open.
Although, the second seed was helpless as her opponent broke again in game seven of the second set, before wrapping up a fourth title of the season ahead of the French Open later this month.
Data debrief
Landing her third Italian Open title before turning 23, Swiatek is only the second player to achieve that feat after Gabriela Sabatini.
In fact, at 22 years and 352 days old, she is the youngest player to win 10 WTA 1000 titles since the introduction of the format in 2009.
The Pole also became the third player to triumph in Madrid and Rome during the same season, after Dinara Safina (2009) and Serena Williams (2013).
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