Andrea Petagna’s acrobatic piece of improvisation proved enough for Napoli to squeeze past Sampdoria, but Lorenzo Insigne went off injured.
The Partenopei were still missing Victor Osimhen, Hirving Lozano, Alex Meret, Mario Rui and now also Piotr Zielinski with COVID-19, with Kalidou Koulibaly, Andre Frank Zambo Anguissa and Adam Ounas at the Africa Cup of Nations. Luciano Spalletti was back on the bench after testing negative. Samp had Antonio Candreva suspended after the shock home defeat to Cagliari, Mikkel Damsgaard, Maya Yoshida, Valerio Verre and Omar Colley absent too.
It was one-way traffic in Naples with the hosts dominating possession, but trying to pass their way through a blue brick wall. There was more bad news, as Lorenzo Insigne suddenly pulled up mid-run with a groin strain.
Amir Rrahmani forced a save with a sudden snapshot from outside the box that was pushed out from under the bar, so was the Faouzi Ghoulam free kick.
Juan Jesus finally broke through with a looping header from six yards, as substitute Matteo Politano floated the cross from the right. However, he had wandered just offside and the goal was disallowed.
Politano went for it himself, a left-foot strike after cutting in from the right that shaved a coat of paint off the upright.
The deadlock was broken eventually when a half-hearted clearance followed a potential foul on Dries Mertens, but play continued and Andrea Petagna acrobatically volleyed it into the top corner from 12 yards.
Samp lost goalkeeper Audero to a hip injury at half-time and gave ex-Torino midfielder Tomas Rincon his debut.
Mertens at full stretch couldn’t quite get the right contact on an inspired Eljif Elmas assist, while Petagna’s curler tested substitute goalkeeper Wladimiro Falcone.
Axel Tuanzebe made his debut off the bench just a day after the loan move from Manchester United was finalised.
Mertens again had the chance to seal it, but again skimmed the upright.
Napoli 1-0 Sampdoria
Petagna 43 (N)