Napoli said goodbye to the Scudetto with a spectacular capitulation, going from 2-0 up to losing 3-2 in just seven minutes, with Empoli celebrating their first win since December.
The Partenopei needed a victory to stay in the title race after one point from their last two games, but had Kalidou Koulibaly suspended, Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Stanislav Lobotka and Eljif Elmas injured. Alessandro Zanoli started despite a stomach bug, but the big change was a 4-2-3-1 with all the strikers used simultaneously. Empoli were without a win in 16 Serie A rounds, a new club record, with long-term absentees Lorenzo Tonelli, Riccardo Marchizza and Nicolas Haas.
Empoli really should’ve taken the lead after four minutes, but Andrea Pinamonti incredibly turned a free header wide on a corner at the back post.
Serie A Liveblog: Inc Lazio-Milan, Empoli-Napoli, Salernitana-Fiorentina
Victor Osimhen nodded a couple of corners over the bar, while Alex Meret was tested twice by Valerio Verre on through balls, then made the save on Kristjan Asllani at the near post.
Just as Empoli were pinning Napoli back, they conceded on the stroke of half-time, Osimhen’s dummy letting a low Chucky Lozano cross through from the right, Mertens sweeping in first time from 12 yards.
Lorenzo Insigne got only his second Serie A goal of the season from open play, as Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa won back the ball in midfield and spread it down the left for his first-time angled drive with the weaker left foot.
Meret smothered a Filippo Bandinelli effort and punched Verre’s strike over, but Empoli finally got a deserved goal when Kevin Malcuit was robbed in midfield and a ricochet fell kindly for Liam Henderson in acres of space, with time to control and drill into the far bottom corner.
Nedim Bajrami should’ve made it 2-2 moments later, ballooning over from 12 yards, but the goal did arrive when Meret was caught napping during what should’ve been a simple ball played out from the back, pressed by Pinamonti to score from six yards.
Napoli crumbled, not for the first time this season, and went from 2-0 up to 3-2 down in just seven minutes. Bajrami went on the counter, whipped his cross over the head of Federico Di Francesco for Pinamonti to come sliding in at the back post.
It was Empoli’s first win since December 2021, which funnily enough was also against Napoli, but only the Partenopei’s second away defeat of the season.
Empoli 3-2 Napoli
Mertens 44 (N), Insigne 53 (N), Henderson 80 (E), Pinamonti 83, 87 (E)
Adios Napoli.
That’s the final nail in their title hopes. Great result for the 2 Milan‘s.
You couldn’t get a more Napoli-type collapse than this. Only Roma could’ve outdone this.
NOW YOU UNDERSTAND WHY Juan Jesus WAS TOLD HE HAD NO FUTURE AT ROME AND HAD TO LEAVE. NOW YOU UNDERSTAND WHY YOU GOT HIM FREE!
@ferban, whats the common denominator here? You seem very simple so I will spell it for you Luciano Spapappetti, the most famous waste of space there is in Serie A!
Very poor coaching at the end of this season. Napoli have a curse on them. It is so hard to so close and fail. So it is. But I agree Spalletti wasn’t the answer. He ran Totti off in Rome.
@Forzaroma
Not really. You blaming Spalletti is the simple way of thinking.
No matter who manages Napoli or Roma, they’re always the same. They’ve both been bottlers for many years now. Nothing changes no matter who’s in charge.
Nothing surprising they are losers and it is their DNA. Spaletti is like Pioli and will never win the big prizes but again no shock as Inter have already sealed it. Milan are not winning all those remaining games against tough opponents.
Pinamonti now has the same amount of goals as Scamacca in the league. People have been clamoring for Scamacca and Mancini has said there are no options. Food for thought. Also, check out Mulatierri’s highlights while at Volendam.
For Roma to be bottlers would imply they had a worthy team to actually challenge for the Scudetto. You gonna tell me that Pastore was awful because of the atmosphere in Rome??! Fonseca was/is a good coach?! (Has he found another job yet?) Face facts, Spappaetti is hopeless and as someone who suffered his tenure for many years, I can tell you it will ALWAYS be like this, he literally loses every single crunch match. Don’t blame the messenger buddy.
@forzaroma
If Roma never had a squad to challenge for the Scudetto, then how would Spalletti win it with them?
Pastore has been a waster for most of his career. Not many more overrated than that guy. Not sure why you’re putting quotes in my mouth about the atmosphere in Rome? What are you on about? lol
Roma are bottlers. Have been for a long, long time.
Let’s hope they go against that trend v Leicester.
Napoli long have given up on the scudetto, so they might as well make some money with the betting