Napoli extend lead at the top of Serie A

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Napoli 2 - 0 Hellas Verona

Napoli extended their lead at the top of Serie A to four points with a comfortable 2-0 victory over Hellas Verona.

The 2023 champions got off to a flying start in the fifth minute when Giovanni Di Lorenzo’s effort struck the post, ricocheted off Verona goalkeeper Lorenzo Montipò, and ended up in the back of the net.

Their dominance was sealed in the 61st minute when ex-Fulham midfielder André-Frank Zambo Anguissa unleashed an unstoppable strike to secure Napoli’s fifth consecutive league win.

Napoli are four points clear of Inter Milan who have two games in hand. 

A closer look at what happened

Napoli strengthened their grip at the top of the Serie A table with a 2-0 win over Verona, courtesy of a fortunate deflection off Giovanni Di Lorenzo and a spectacular long-range strike from André-Frank Zambo Anguissa. However, the victory was not without its frustrations, as Napoli missed several clear-cut chances.

The match came amid a turbulent time for manager Antonio Conte, who is grappling with a transfer request from star forward Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. Injuries to Alessandro Buongiorno and Mathías Olivera also forced Conte to reshuffle, with David Neres filling in on the left flank. Adding to the narrative, Verona had stunned Napoli with a 3-0 victory in their previous meeting this season.

Napoli got off to a dream start, opening the scoring just five minutes in. Di Lorenzo combined cleverly with Romelu Lukaku before curling a shot from the edge of the box. The effort struck the far post and deflected off Verona keeper Lorenzo Montipò into the net. Despite their early lead, Napoli were wasteful in front of goal, with Anguissa skying a close-range chance and Lukaku dragging a shot wide from a well-worked free-kick.

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Scott McTominay almost added to Napoli’s tally with an acrobatic volley that was deflected wide, while Verona posed occasional threats, including a Casper Tengstedt header that missed narrowly.

After the break, Napoli intensified their push for a second goal. Neres created a promising opportunity, only to be thwarted by Montipò’s sharp reflexes. The Verona keeper also denied a long-range McTominay strike, and Amir Rrahmani saw his header cleared off the line.

Napoli finally sealed the win when Anguissa unleashed a thunderous shot from distance that flew past the opposition keeper.

The view of a neutral 

This was an interesting match as someone who wasn't emotionally invested in either side. Napoli looks a completely different side from last season and are showing the qualities of the side that won Serie A in 2023.

Looking at wider stories coming out of the club, there is questionable commitment from Khvicha Kvaratskhelia handing in a transfer request to leave Gli Azzurri in pursuit of a title. From the home side's perspective, they are a side that can cope without him for the rest of the season.

I met up with another fan from Scotland who flew to Italy for the match. He added: "Serie A is a fascinating league to watch as you really can't predict who will win the title. I did really enjoy watching Napoli and I am excited to attend more of their matches this season."

Location: Naples, Metropolitan City of Naples, Italy

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