Scott McTominay demonstrated remarkable resilience on Sunday, transforming from villain to hero to salvage a vital point for Napoli in a dramatic 2-2 draw against Serie A title rivals Inter Milan at the San Siro.
Costly Mistake and Immediate Redemption
The Scotland international, enjoying a stellar second season in Italy, endured a nightmare start to the crucial fixture. In the ninth minute, McTominay was dispossessed by Piotr Zielinski in his own half, a mistake that was ruthlessly punished as Federico Dimarco finished off a swift counter-attack to put Inter ahead.
Napoli manager Antonio Conte was visibly furious with the ease of the turnover, and his frustration later boiled over, resulting in a red card for dissent following a contentious penalty decision for Inter. However, McTominay did not let his head drop.
Ruthless Response Secures Point
The former Manchester United midfielder began his personal fightback in the 26th minute. Making a powerful, driving run into the penalty area, he met a cross with a sharp first-time finish at the near post to level the scores.
After Inter restored their lead from the penalty spot in the second half, McTominay was not finished. With nine minutes of normal time remaining, he showcased his exceptional poacher's instinct, volleying home from close range to secure a 2-2 draw. His clinical double took his season tally to eight goals and earned him the moniker "ruthless robot" from sections of the media.
Italian Media Hails 'MVP' Mentality
The Italian press universally praised the 29-year-old's strength of character. Eurosport Italy led with the headline "McTominay with guts", noting that such an early error "would have flattened anyone… but not him." They awarded him an 8/10 match rating, lauding his "big attributes in midfield."
Corriere della Sera also gave an 8/10, emphasising his mental fortitude: "Like a robot he programmes himself and becomes the protagonist with technique and cold-bloodedness." Football Italia named him man of the match, branding him "Priceless McTominay" and handing out a rating of 8.5/10.
Further acclaim came from Corriere dello Sport, which stated he "bossed it" at the San Siro, describing him as Napoli's leader who performed with "great substance." La Repubblica echoed the 'leader' sentiment, while Il Giornale described his performance as simply "ruthless," forgiving his mistake for two priceless goals.
The result leaves Antonio Conte's Napoli side within four points of the Serie A summit, with McTominay's pivotal contribution underlining his status as a key figure in their title challenge.
