Jose Callejon’s header was the decisive moment as Napoli beat Fiorentina 1-0 to reach the Coppa Italia semi-final, but both teams ended with 10 men.
The winners will go through to face Juventus or Milan in the Coppa Italia semi-final, the only round that is played over two legs.
Leonardo Pavoletti was given his first start in a Napoli jersey, resting Dries Mertens, while Nikola Maksimovic also got a rare outing at the back. The visitors missed Gonzalo Rodriguez and left Borja Valero on the bench.
Jose Callejon’s header was the decisive moment as Napoli beat Fiorentina 1-0 to reach the Coppa Italia semi-final, but both teams ended with 10 men.
The winners will go through to face Juventus or Milan in the Coppa Italia semi-final, the only round that is played over two legs.
Leonardo Pavoletti was given his first start in a Napoli jersey, resting Dries Mertens, while Nikola Maksimovic also got a rare outing at the back. The visitors missed Gonzalo Rodriguez and left Borja Valero on the bench.
When these sides met last month in Serie A, it ended in a spectacular 3-3 draw at the Stadio Franchi.
Napoli dominated the early stages, seeing shots and crosses charged down, but Fiorentina were dangerous on the counter and Pepe Reina palmed a Federico Chiesa shot over the bar from a tight angle.
The goalkeeper had to be even more alert with a one-handed reaction save on Davide Astori’s header, then the hosts immediately countered for Pavoletti to blaze over.
Lorenzo Insigne’s free kick at the near post was fingertipped on to the crossbar by Ciprian Tatarusanu, the goalkeeper then having his gloves stung by a Jose Callejon set play. Insigne wasted another promising opportunity by curling off target.
It was more even after the restart, Sebastian Cristoforo’s mis-kick from 12 yards going well wide and Reina rushing out to close down Chiesa after a remarkable slalom through the defence.
Insigne was unlucky again, as another free kick cracked against the crossbar, this time without the aid of Tatarusanu’s fingertips.
Napoli finally found a way through at the end of a long passing move, as Insigne prodded through and Marek Hamsik crossed from the left for Jose Callejon’s header, which bent back Tatarusanu’s hands.
Tatarusanu did better when plucking a dangerous Amadou Diawara looping header out from under the bar, while Insigne almost set up another for Callejon with a magnificent turn to leave Carlos Sanchez chasing shadows, but this time the cross was intercepted.
Fiorentina poured forward and got Elseid Hysaj sent off with a second bookable offence, but the situation got more and more ill-tempered with Maxi Olivera also given two yellow cards. Both decisions seemed frankly harsh.
With the last kick of the game, Dries Mertens curled wide on the counter set up by Insigne.
Napoli 1-0 Fiorentina
Callejon 71 (N)
Napoli: Reina; Hysaj, Albiol, Maksimovic, Strinic (Maggio 61); Zielinski, Diawara, Hamsik (Allan 82); Callejon, Pavoletti (Mertens 64), Insigne
Fiorentina: Tatarusanu; Sanchez, Astori, Tomovic; Chiesa, Badelj, Cristoforo (Borja Valero 75), Vecino, Olivera; Bernardeschi (Ilicic 75); Kalinic
Ref: Doveri
Sent off: Hysaj 89 (N), Olivera 94 (F)