Napoli v Inter Milan LIVE: Inter put in a champions' performance away to put three past Napoli and return to the top of Serie A

REPORT: A DOMINANT, DEVASTATING INTER ALL BUT END NAPOLI'S TITLE DEFENCE

A clinical, confident Inter went to town in Naples, scoring three goals worthy of champions against the defending Serie A title holders.

Napoli will wish they could replicate their away form on home turf. A fourth Serie A defeat at the Stadio Diego Maradona, and a fifth consecutive game in all competitions without a win, leaves them 11 points off the title pace in only the first week of December.

Inter, in contrast, even without producing devastating performances are on a real roll of form that could prove a platform for a true, longterm title challenge.

And all it took was a late first half wonderstrike from playmaker Hakan Calhanoglu, a goal worthy of winning any game, to start the chain reaction that would ultimately restore the Nerazzurri to the league summit in the race for the Scudetto.

Before going a goal down, Napoli arguably had the better of the first half, making chances, registering eight shots and putting the away side under plenty of pressure. They came within inches of taking the lead in the 36th minute, when Politano cut inside to his left foot and let rip with a shot that beat the keeper but not the bar.

Into the second half the Napoli fans might have expected their team to come out fighting, but instead they were presented with eleven players all but conceding defeat. Inter had the run of the next 45. Their second goal, a tidy sweep home from Nicolo Barella at the end of an elegant but easy ball in by Lautaro, came as less of a surprise than their first.

Inter’s third and final goal was the easiest of all, as Marcus Thuram, so often the provider, waltzed into the Napoli box. Colombian Juan Cuadrado easily picked him out and all the Frenchman had to do was guide the ball home.

Napoli will be wondering how they can come back from this. Inter can almost consider themselves champions-in-waiting.

How will Napoli recover from this one? There's no more stark contrast between two sides than when one title contender destroys another. Last year's champions are now eleven points off the league lead.

Inter happy to see this game out with Napoli coming at them and offering only low percentage efforts. The Milan side are on their way back to the top, and it's hard to see anyone overtaking them any time soon.

Napoli might prefer less than that. He's already dead.

THURAM SUBBED STRAIGHT AFTER SCORING

Job very much done. On comes Marko Arnautovic, along with Bisseck who replaces Matteo Darmian.

Just as I was about to say how creative and selfless he had been, the Frenchman grabs one for himself. He advanced into the box where Cuadrado picked him out with a beautifully waited low cross from the right. All Thuram had to do was lift back his right foot and gently guide the ball past a lost looking goalkeeper. Game over.

At point blank from a bullet Osimhen header. I don't know how much he knew about it, and it wouldn't have counted because the flag went up, but a world class save is a world class save.

A sign of the frustration that this Napoli side are feeling as they wonder what they can do to get something out of this?

Lindstrom and Zielinkski on for Lobotka and Elmas. They need to make an immediate impact.

He latches onto a nice ball over from Dumfries but doesn't make the kind of contact we're used to from him this season, and the shot goes well over.

They didn't look in the game at 1-0 down, but it wouldn't have taken much if they could find their heads. Now it feels like a mountain they have to climb, and they don't know where the ropes are.

A wonderful pass from Lautaro to feet but Barella still had much to do. He used the momentum to sweep forward into the box, negotiating attempted challenges, and just eging it past a flailing Meret at close range.

His miscontrol carries himself and the ball into the box where he goes down upon contact. With the attack continue the referee allowed play to flow and it was hard to tell whether or not VAR was taking a look. Kvaratskhelia took the shot from the left and it went wide. Penalty not given was the ultimate outcome.

Inter happy to defend in numbers, allowing Napoli to invade and return up the other end at pace. It's smart, and it's winding Napoli up well, but it's not especially attractive.

Even if, at times, he literally has it in his clenched fist. The Napoli star is looking increasingly frustrated, for a variety of reasons.

The Dutch play fell heavily on his backside after going up for a high challenge.

Inter it is who start the second half and they're on the attack straight away, looking to put this game to bed before Napoli even wake up.

A stunning strike the difference between these two sides after the first 45.

And Napoli seem shell-shocked. How can they respond to that?