SSC Napoli won their first game since Kevin De Bruyne’s serious injury with a flattering 1-0 victory. Bottom-of-the-table Lecce fought hard—and missed a huge chance from the penalty spot.
Napoli had put in an inspiring performance on Saturday, beating Inter Milan 3-1 at home. However, the prestigious victory was overshadowed by De Bruyne’s injury during his penalty kick. The bad news followed on Monday: a serious muscle injury means he will be out for months.
But how would the reigning champions react to this heavy blow? Their opponents in this midweek fixture seemed to be “grateful” after all: Lecce had collected a meager six points from their first eight games, leaving them 16th in Serie A. However, anyone who expected a clear-cut affair was proven wrong.
Lecce defended cleverly against uninspired visitors clad in almost traditional Halloween jerseys and occasionally launched their own pinpricks. Berisha tried his luck from the second row, but missed narrowly (25′). Napoli’s best chance came from left-back Olivera, but Tiago Gabriel saved on the line for beaten keeper Falcone (35′).
Zambo Anguissa scores again
After the break, the heavily disappointing favorites had to come up with much more. But first, there was another injury: summer signing Lang limped off the pitch after another foul, and David Neres replaced him (48′). Suddenly, the home side had a great chance to take a 1-0 lead – VAR had flagged a handball by Juan Jesus. The 17-year-old Camarda took responsibility, but his attempt from 11 meters out was saved by the quick-reacting keeper Milinkovic-Savic (56′).
Napoli coach Antonio Conte – himself born in Lecce – had seen enough in his hometown and brought on three fresh players in Spinazzola, McTominay, and Höjlund (61′). Less than ten minutes later, the favorites were celebrating the lead: David Neres lifted a free kick from the right into the center, where Zambo Anguissa—who had already scored against Inter—headed into the far corner with a little help (69′).
In the last 20 minutes, Napoli comfortably managed their lead and maintained their position at the top of the table with what was ultimately a hard-fought victory. The champions will be aiming for their third win in a row on Saturday when Como, the surprise team of the current Serie A season, visit the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium.
