Serie A | Salernitana 0-2 Napoli: Raspa on target again

Giacomo Raspadori and Eljif Elmas strikes gave Napoli all three points, as the woodwork and Guillermo Ochoa kept the scoreline down for Salernitana.

The Partenopei dropped out of the top four and were feeling the pressure after a comeback 2-2 draw with Milan. Victor Osimhen was still injured and Natan suspended, but Juan Jesus and Andre Frank Zambo Anguissa returned to full fitness. Salernitana were without a Serie A victory all season, but new coach Pippo Inzaghi did get a 4-0 Coppa Italia win over Sampdoria midweek and Norbert Gyomber sat out a ban.

Lorenzo Pirola’s header was beaten away on a corner, but the hosts tried to play their way out from the back and were caught out, Stanislav Lobotka intercepting to assist Giacomo Raspadori with the outside of the boot, who sprung the offside trap and smashed right-footed into the far top corner. It was the Italian’s third official game in a row on target.

There were complains from Salernitana, as Matias Olivera was offside in the build-up, but as the hosts had won back the ball and then lost it again before the goal, VAR could not intervene.

Matteo Politano’s curler was palmed over the bar by Guillermo Ochoa, then Raspadori’s deflected finish was fingertipped round the base of the near post after a wonderful team move made of quick passes.

It continued after the restart, Raspadori again stinging Ochoa’s gloves and Politano thought he had scored on 49 minutes only for the left-foot curler to clip the upright from outside the box.

Pirola threw himself in the way of Politano to prevent a goal after Piotr Zielinski and Raspadori surprised Federico Fazio on the Kvaratskhelia ball floated over the top.

Zielinski’s half-volley on a cleared corner forced a flying save out of Ochoa and Cholito Simeone scuffed his finish well wide.

The second goal came on the counter-attack when substitute Elmas burst down the left, cut inside Mamadou Coulibaly with a dummy and curled right-footed into the far bottom corner.

Salernitana 0-2 Napoli

Raspadori 13 (N), Elmas 82 (N)