Napoli downs Roma
Gonzalo Higuain scored again to help Napoli defeat title hopeful Roma 2-0 amid high tension in the Serie A at the Stadio San Paolo on Saturday.
The Argentine turned provider to help Jose Callejon seal the result late on. Callejon and Marek Hamsik also hit the crossbar in an entertaining first half for Napoli. Roma remained level at the top of the table while Napoli moved provisionally third ahead of the rest of the weekend’s fixtures.
This was a high-risk match as it was the first time the two teams had met since clashes that led to a fan’s death from a shooting before the Italian Cup final in May. Roma fans were barred from travelling to Naples for the game but there were still concerns of reprisal attacks and there were tight security measures put in place.
Roma came into the match on a high after moving level with Juventus at the top of the table, while Napoli coach Rafa Benitez was still under pressure after mixed results.
But it was Napoli that had the better start and could have been 3-0 up inside the opening 12 minutes. Lorenzo Insigne’s effort was deflected and Higuain acrobatically volleyed it in with a scissor kick to give Napoli the lead in the third minute.
Inisgne then drilled the ball just wide of the left upright before unleashing a curler which Roma goalkeeper Morgan De Sanctis did well to fingertip around the base of his post.
Roma began to get more into the game but didn’t have a sight of goal and it was Napoli again which went closest toward half time, with Hamsik also hitting the crossbar after de Sanctis had denied Higuain.
Roma came out fighting after the break and Alessandro Florenzi fired wide before forcing Napoli goalkeeper Rafael into a smart save.
Napoli did score a second six minutes from time as a delightful diagonal pass from Higuain allowed Callejon to slot past De Sanctis.
The result: Napoli 2 (Higuain 3, Callejon 85) bt Roma 0.
The Argentine turned provider to help Jose Callejon seal the result late on. Callejon and Marek Hamsik also hit the crossbar in an entertaining first half for Napoli. Roma remained level at the top of the table while Napoli moved provisionally third ahead of the rest of the weekend’s fixtures.
This was a high-risk match as it was the first time the two teams had met since clashes that led to a fan’s death from a shooting before the Italian Cup final in May. Roma fans were barred from travelling to Naples for the game but there were still concerns of reprisal attacks and there were tight security measures put in place.
Roma came into the match on a high after moving level with Juventus at the top of the table, while Napoli coach Rafa Benitez was still under pressure after mixed results.
But it was Napoli that had the better start and could have been 3-0 up inside the opening 12 minutes. Lorenzo Insigne’s effort was deflected and Higuain acrobatically volleyed it in with a scissor kick to give Napoli the lead in the third minute.
Inisgne then drilled the ball just wide of the left upright before unleashing a curler which Roma goalkeeper Morgan De Sanctis did well to fingertip around the base of his post.
Roma began to get more into the game but didn’t have a sight of goal and it was Napoli again which went closest toward half time, with Hamsik also hitting the crossbar after de Sanctis had denied Higuain.
Roma came out fighting after the break and Alessandro Florenzi fired wide before forcing Napoli goalkeeper Rafael into a smart save.
Napoli did score a second six minutes from time as a delightful diagonal pass from Higuain allowed Callejon to slot past De Sanctis.
The result: Napoli 2 (Higuain 3, Callejon 85) bt Roma 0.
==================================
