Walter Mazzarri’s Vesuviani appear to have set their stall out for a rollercoaster of a season, already embarking upon classic comebacks in both Serie A and the Europa League. On Sunday they faced a Roma side revitalised by a late winner against Inter Milan.
A 2-0 win for Napoli was perhaps slightly flattering, but they deserved their success after finding another level in the second half despite briefly appearing to be visibly tired. Three points took them level with AC Milan, who were top of Serie A at the start of play.
The match started at breakneck speed with Andrea Dossena and Ezequiel Lavezzi testing the Roma defence early and Roma giving every bit as good as they got in the first ten minutes. As the first half continued Roma played their way into dictation of the tempo. Marco Borriello looked menacing but Paolo Cannavaro was a match for him at the back. Napoli created some problems on the break but it was John Arne Riise of Roma who had the first clear opportunity of the game, firing high and wide after being found in space.
Marek Hamsik came close to opening the scoring in the 33rd minute, brilliantly taking Lavezzi’s pass on his chest six yards from goal but unable to find a way past Bogdan Lobont in the Roma goal. Three minutes later the visitors’ Neapolitan striker Borriello wasted a good chance at the other end. Morgan De Sanctis was called into action shortly afterwards, making an impressive save after being wrong-footed by a deflected header.
Napoli noticeably tired after the break and Roma began to apply some pressure in the opening exchanges of the second half. The home side became reliant upon last-ditch defending but had a good chance before the 60th minute when a long ball out of defence found Edinson Cavani who forced a save from Lobont. They then won a succession of corners and the San Paolo crowd picked up the volume with half an hour to go. Lavezzi’s free kick in the 62nd minute went close but swung just over from 20 yards.
Cavani was again foiled by Lobont during a superb spell of Napoli pressure, breaking through on goal but unable to squeeze his shot past the Roma stopper.
Eventually Napoli’s pressure told. In the 72nd minute, a ball out wide was met by Dossena, whose low cross swerved behind the entire Roma defence and fell to an unmarked Marek Hamsik, whose first-time shot squeezed through Lobont and into the corner of the net to give the Azzurri a deserved lead.
The points were sealed with eight minutes left. Patient play found Hugo Campagnaro in the right channel and his pass across goal was turned into his own net by Nicolas Burdisso with Cavani making life difficult for him.
It was a hard-fought but well-deserved win for Napoli and it caps a dramatic and ultimately fruitful week for Mazzarri and his team. Claudio Ranieri, on the other hand, is right back in the brown stuff.