Napoli won the tenth league game in a row in the Serie A on Tuesday evening. The team from Naples won at home thanks to a well-playing Hirving Lozano 2-0 against Empoli. The Mexican winger was worth gold for Napoli with a goal and an assist, which is now nine points clear of number two AC Milan. The latter has played one game less.
Luciano Spalletti was unable to have a fully fit squad on Tuesday evening. The Italian had to do it against Empoli without defender Amir Rrahmani and tastemaker Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. The latter is in excellent form with eight goals and ten assists in 17 games, but had to miss the home game against Empoli. Victor Osimhen logically started in the base with the home team, just like Tanguy Ndombélé. The Tottenham Hotspur mercenary has fluctuated between bench and base this season, but started Tuesday evening from kick-off. Ex-PSV player Sam Lammers, who is rented by Empoli from Atalanta this season, started on the bench in Naples.
???????????????? ????????????! ???
The leader of Italy gets a (easy?) penalty and Hirving Lozano hits the mark: 1-0! ??Empoli goalkeeper Vicario was very close… ??#ZiggoSport #SeriesA #NapoliEmpoli pic.twitter.com/XtRCCG93kq
— Ziggo Sport Football (@ZS_Voetbal) Nov 8, 2022
Napoli were lord and master in the first half. Spalletti’s team enjoyed 75% of possession, but was unable to convert that into a goal. Mário Rui, Osimhen and Giacomo Raspadori all fired on the enemy goal without success, with Empoli surviving the first half and heading for the dressing room tied at the end. Also shortly after the interruption, Napoli went looking for the opening goal and it came close to the goal of Empoli keeper Guglielmo Vicario on several occasions. The greatest chance of the second half belonged to Osimhen, who came out on top after a free kick by Stanislav Lobotka in the sixtieth minute, but headed the ball over from close range. The Nigerian did decorate a penalty for Napoli a few minutes later, after he tapped the ball away for ex-Ajacied Razvan Marin.
The Romanian just wanted to shoot the ball away, but hit Osimhen’s leg, causing the ball to hit the spot. That was punished quite severely, but Lozano didn’t care. The ex-PSV player went behind the ball and gave Napoli the lead: 1-0. Twenty minutes before the end, Sebastiano Luperto had to leave the field with his second yellow card after a hard foul on Lozano and then all hopes of a point for Empoli came to an end. In the end it was Piotr Zielinski who decided the game two minutes before the end. Lozano handed the ball to the Polish midfielder after a fine individual action: 2-0. Nedim Bajrami came close to the honorary goal in the absolute final phase, but Alex Meret made the save.
????????????????????????????????! ??
Over and out ? Napoli take a 2-0 lead after a great attack! ??#ZiggoSport #SeriesA #NapoliEmpoli pic.twitter.com/AgaKLPN8C8— Ziggo Sport Football (@ZS_Voetbal) Nov 8, 2022
| No. | Team | m | W | G | V | +/- | Pnt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Napoli | 14 | 12 | 2 | 0 | 24 | 38 |
| 2 | AC Milan | 13 | 9 | 2 | 2 | 13 | 29 |
| 3 | Lazio | 13 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 17 | 27 |
| 4 | Atalanta | 13 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 9 | 27 |
| 5 | Juventus | 13 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 13 | 25 |
| 6 | AS Roma | 13 | 8 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 25 |
| 7 | Internazionale | 13 | 8 | 0 | 5 | 6 | 24 |
| 8 | Udinese | 14 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 8 | 24 |
| 9 | Salernitana | 13 | 4 | 5 | 4 | -1 | 17 |
| 10 | Torino | 13 | 5 | 2 | 6 | -3 | 17 |
| 11 | Fiorentina | 13 | 4 | 4 | 5 | -2 | 16 |
| 12 | Bologna | 13 | 4 | 4 | 5 | -3 | 16 |
| 13 | Sassuolo | 13 | 4 | 3 | 6 | -4 | 15 |
| 14 | empoli | 14 | 3 | 5 | 6 | -9 | 14 |
| 15 | Monza | 13 | 4 | 1 | 8 | -8 | 13 |
| 16 | special | 14 | 2 | 4 | 8 | -13 | 10 |
| 17 | Lecce | 13 | 1 | 6 | 6 | -6 | 9 |
| 18 | Cremonese | 13 | 0 | 6 | 7 | -13 | 6 |
| 19 | sampdoria | 13 | 1 | 3 | 9 | -17 | 6 |
| 20 | Hellas Verona | 13 | 1 | 2 | 10 | -15 | 5 |