Napoli defeated home side Spezia 3-0 in an easy game. Kvaratskhelia scored a penalty while Osimhen scored a brace in a dominating performance.
Esposito, Verde, and Shomurodov were all inserted into the starting lineup by home head coach Luca Gotti following his team’s most recent game, a 2-0 loss at Bologna. Holm has been moved to the bench, with Viktor Kovalenko out injured and Emmanuel Gyasi suspended.
Osimhen, the top scorer in Serie A, is still in the starting lineup for Napoli alongside Kvaratskhelia and Lozano on the wings.
Mario Rui whipped a cross behind the Spezia backline that Caldara had to awkwardly handle. Dragowski was rooted to the spot as the ball bounced off his stomach and edged narrowly past the post.
Di Lorenzo managed to connect with a corner at the near post with his head, but he can only flick wide of the right post. If a Napoli player had been standing by the back post, that would have been a tap-in.
Ampadu was given a yellow card for bringing down Kvaratskhelia in the 16th minute, and Napoli was awarded a free kick in an unsafe crossfield position. The visitors recycled the ball after the free kick was cleared, and Zielinski eventually found space to shoot from outside the box. However, Dragowski was able to tamely gather it with little effort.
Kvaratskhelia was taken down by Agudelo, and the referee signalled a free kick even though Napoli players yelled for a penalty because the incident occurred right on the edge of the box. However, replays demonstrate that he was right to wave away their objections.
After a hectic start, the game entered a bit of a lull. The visitors controlled possession in the first half, though they didn’t produce many clear-cut chances.
Osimhen attempted to latch onto Kvaratskhelia’s throughball as it sped past the Spezia defence, but Dragowski was the recipient instead due to the Georgian international’s pass having a slight excess of power.
Within 10 seconds of the second half beginning, Reca lost all awareness of the location of a bouncing ball, and it ultimately hit the back of his arm. It was necessary for the refree to point to the penalty spot.
Kvaratskhelia took the penalty shot and sidefooted it into the goal. Dragowski made the correct guess, but the Napoli player’s penalty kick had too much force on it and went in to give the league leaders a 1-0 lead!
Verde did well to move to his right foot and open up a shot opportunity, but his curling attempt goes high over Meret’s crossbar.
Kvaratskhelia launches a shot from just inside the box, but Dragowski made a fine save to his left to prevent him from scoring twice in the match. Osimhen put the ball in the back of the net, but the goal was disallowed because the referee ruled that the striker fouled Caldara by grabbing his shirt.
Osimhen scored his 15th Serie A goal of the season to give Napoli a 2-0 lead in the 68th minute. The Spezia defence failed to intercept Kvaratskhelia’s cross, and the ball flied into the air. Osimhen and Dragowski compete for the ball, but the striker beats the goalkeeper to the ball and nodded it in.
5 minutes later, Napoli increased their lead to 3. Due to a home side error, Kvratkhelia received the ball in the Spezia penalty area. Instead of scoring himself he unselfishly provided a simple pass to Osimhen which he turned inside the net swiftly.
Though Meret stopped Agudelo’s low effort, the Spezia player had been a bright spot in an otherwise lacklustre performance.
For Spezia, Bourabia attempted to get one back, but his long drive was skied well over the crossbar. That essentially sums up their offensive endeavours in this game.
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