Empoli have again caused a huge upset by beating a top team, a fluke Patrick Cutrone goal proving luck really was not on Napoli’s side this evening, the first win here since 2008.
The Partenopei were still missing Victor Osimhen, Kalidou Koulibaly, Fabian Ruiz and Stanislav Lobotka, but Lorenzo Insigne and Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa were back on the bench. Luciano Spalletti completed his two-match touchline ban, facing his former assistant manager Aurelio Andreazzoli.
Dries Mertens fired over the bar, but Napoli lost Piotr Zielinski when he was suffering from respiratory problems, forcing Insigne to return earlier than expected.
Eljif Elmas almost opened the scoring moments later with a looping strike from the edge of the area that bounced off the top of the crossbar.
Empoli also threatened, Patrick Cutrone rolling across the face of goal for Nedim Bajrami to hit the side-netting.
Chucky Lozano stung Guglielmo Vicario’s gloves at the near top corner and a typical Insigne right-foot curler flashed wide.
Mertens had a shot charged down and Giovanni Di Lorenzo’s follow-up beaten away by Vicario, but David Ospina used his chest to parry when Cutrone got away from Juan Jesus.
Napoli had the ball in the net when Mario Rui floated a free kick over the top and Juan Jesus got it in with a goalmouth scramble, but the offside flag was up.
Matteo Politano, Insigne and Federico Di Francesco tested the goalkeepers at either end, but the deadlock was finally broken in truly the most bizarre fashion.
A corner was cleared by Anguissa, but he nodded it onto the back of Patrick Cutrone’s head and the ricochet at the near post took it into the net. Cutrone had no idea that he had just scored a goal.
Moments later, Napoli’s luck went against them again, as Andrea Petagna’s strike cannoned off the base of the upright.
Eljif Elmas was carried off with an ankle injury in the closing minutes, as Empoli shut up shop for a shock victory.
Napoli 0-1 Empoli
Cutrone 70 (E)
So Lazio are not the only ones to bottle it. At least they were leading and than just turned rubbish lol
Typical Napoli this time of season after a good run.
There are no words!!!
No surprise really, given how weak their bench is. Napoli and Milan probably don’t have the depth to maintain a league run. Though Milan being out of Europe so early might help them.
The league is Inter‘s to lose. Atalanta might be the best bet to push them if they learn how to defend.
Typical spaletti, promising at the begining but decline at the winter
The league is already done. Milan do not have the quality, depth, strength and experience. Objectively speaking, Inter‘s squad is like a tank. Milan have a car that will always break down when going up a hill.