Luciano Spalletti ensures Lorenzo Insigne will take the next penalty for Napoli.
The Partenopei beat Torino 1-0 at the Stadio Maradona and retained their 100 per cent record with an eighth win out of eight in Serie A this season, equalling the club’s all-time record set by Maurizio Sarri in 2017-18.
It was harder than expected, as Lorenzo Insigne saw his penalty saved by Vanja Milinkovic-Savic and Giovanni Di Lorenzo’s goal was ruled narrowly offside.
Victor Osimhen’s towering header late on proved decisive from an Eljif Elmas deflection at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.
Insigne missed his second penalty kick in a row. He had fluffed one in the match against Fiorentina before the break.
“Lorenzo has a strong bond, especially with his teammates who are helping him. He was sorry for not giving his contribution,” Spalletti told DAZN.
“For me, Insigne will take the next one, then it will be Lorenzo’s turn and then the captain’s,” Spalletti told DAZN.
The Partenopei maintained their perfect start with eight wins from eight games, but this time they needed a late Osimhen header to take all three points.
“When you have strong players in attack, there are more solutions, so you always hope something can happen,” Spalletti said.
“We know [Ivan] Juric well. He is a strong coach, it’s always a battle when you face his teams because they are always prepared defensively.
“I’ve seen an improvement in terms of mentality and compactness. Seeing Politano and Insigne track back is something that unites, gives strength and creates team spirit.
“We have a team of friends. We also want to propose a good football and tonight we were at a very good level. We built, fought and were willing to give what this game required,” Spalletti continued.
“We obtained a big win for our fans who deserve it. We feel the passion for their love for these colours and the team. It was important to feel their joy tonight.”
Zambo Anguissa once again played the whole game. His agent is in Naples and the Partenopei are already considering his permanent move from Fulham.
“Don’t talk about him. Leave him hidden,” Spalletti said, smiling.
“He is a top player, he does everything, but he must improve his finishing and the final pass. You win games when you have the right players and serious professionals, he is the right person for this dressing room.”