Handanovic the hero as Inter upholds unbeaten start with Napoli draw

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CARLO HERMANN / AFP / Getty

Samir Handoanovic, take a bow.

The Inter shot-stopper was at his best Saturday at Napoli, making five massive saves to thwart I Ciucciarelli's lethal attack in a 0-0 stalemate that saw Serie A's two remaining unbeaten sides keep hold of the top two spots in Italy.

A double save in the opening stanza set the table for a slew of acrobatic second-half stops from the Slovenian international. First, it was a diving effort to deny Napoli goal-machine Dries Mertens ...

... before Handanovic robbed the free-scoring Belgian international for a second time minutes before the final whistle courtesy of a one-handed block that scurried out of danger.

With the result - Napoli's first scoreless outing of the year in all comps - Maurizio Sarri's charges remain top of Serie A with eight victories and a draw. Inter sits just two points adrift in second, four points clear of Juventus ahead of the Old Lady's trip to Udinese on Sunday.

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