Mission accomplished for Napoli, who get the nineteenth victory out of twenty-two league games and fly to 59 points in the standings. Spalletti’s team beat Cremonese 3-0, thus taking revenge for the elimination from the Italian Cup suffered a few weeks ago at the hands of the Grigiorossi. In truth, even on this occasion, as indeed throughout the year in the challenges with the big names, Ballardini’s team didn’t mind, playing a good match at least in the first hour of play. However, Napoli unlocked the match in the first half thanks to a great play by Kvaratskhelia, then doubling in the second half with Osimhen’s paw. The Nigerian’s goal virtually ended hostilities in favor of the Neapolitans, who later also served set with a nice diagonal from Elmas.
The match
The advantage of the Neapolitans comes in the 22nd minute, with Kvaratskhelia making himself a nice present for his 22nd birthday. Despite the technical gap and the disadvantage, the guests keep the pitch well without creating major headaches for Meret. The first half ended 1-0 for Spalletti’s men, who complained about the failure to grant a penalty for a knockdown in the Kvaratskhelia area. At the start of the second half, the referee pardoned Vasquez for a foul that would have earned him a second yellow card. The 2-0 comes in the 20th minute. Carnesecchi parries a close-range header after a Zielinski corner, but Kim heads back inside to find himself all alone Osimhen, who scores the easiest of goals a few centimeters from the goal line. The golden moment of the Nigerian striker continues, rising to 17 goals in the league. In the 34th minute the trio arrives. Newcomer Elmas he receives in the area from Di Lorenzo and crosses with his right foot in the far corner, which the goalkeeper cannot reach. In the end, the result will not change anymore. The escape of the Scudetto of Napoli continues, rising to 59 and turning to +16 over Inter in anticipation of the Nerazzurri’s match tomorrow on the Sampdoria field. On the other hand, the situation of Cremonese is increasingly critical, remaining in last position with just 8 points to her credit
Juve-Fiorentina 1-0 (Ansa)
Rabiot gives victory to Juventus, Fiorentina ko
The match between Juventus and Fiorentina ends 1-0 at the Allianz Stadium. After unlocking the game in the 34th minute of the first half through Rabiot, Juventus managed to maintain the result, despite several goal opportunities from Fiorentina in the second half. The Viola had found an equalizer in the 89th minute with Castrovilli, but the goal was then canceled by the Var for offside. Thanks to this victory, Juventus rises to 29 points, catching up with Monza and Bologna in the standings, while the Fiorentina remains firm at 24 points.
The match
The match was decided by Rabiot’s goal, scored in the 34th minute: the Frenchman takes advantage of Di Maria’s delicious assist and knocks Terracciano with a powerful left foot. Before the goal, two clear black and white chances for Kostic, who first (12′) misses his aim and then (23′) gets his shot rejected by Terracciano. The Viola sting little and only show up with a shot by Ikoné deflected by Locatelli. Juve could double in the 59th minute, but Vlahovic’s goal was disallowed for a surgical offside. Between the 67th and 68th minutes it was Kean, who came on for the Serbian in the Juventus attack, who wasted two huge chances in sequence and kept the match open. In the 89th minute Fiorentina equalized with Castrovilli. All useless, the Var highlights the offside by Ranieri and cancel the network. Juve wins 1-0.
Bologna-Monza 0-1 (Ansa)
Bologna ko, Monza never stops
The Dall’Ara match between Bologna and Monza ends 0-1. After breaking the deadlock already in the first half in the 25th minute, Monza held up against Bologna in the second half and brought home a very important victory which allowed the men to Palladino to hook Bologna in the standings with 29 points and enters by right among the teams in the race for seventh place in Turin, just one length away. Monza are the only team in Serie A still undefeated at the start of 2023.
The match
The three-point goal that arrived in the 25th minute of the first half came from Donatia surprise move by Palladino, who without Carlos Augusto inserts the former Inter on the right and Ciurria on the left and it is Donati himself who finds the winning tap after the counterattack orchestrated by Sensi and conducted with a personal action by Petagna. Thiago Motta in an emergency in defense and attack redesigns the team with Posch and Sosa in central defence, Cambiaso and Lykogiannis on the side lanes and with Ferguson false nine with Kyriakopoulos and Aebischer completing trident and midfielder. But the move doesn’t pay. Bologna struggles to build and suffers in the middle, where Rovella and Sensi send Schouten and Aebischer out of range: it is from a turnover by the latter that the counterattack of Monza’s advantage comes. In the second half, Bologna tries to raise the engine speed: in the first minutes, a dangerous cross from Cambiaso arrives, but Pablo Marì is good at anticipating Ferguson in front of goal and in the 7th minute Orsolini’s volley arrives from Aebischer’s free-kick: but it’s central and Di Gregorio blocks with confidence. And then inside Arnautovic and Barrow for the last half hour, to try and get Monza back. ‘Orso’ grazes the intersection at 27′, but the rossoblù are struggling to catch up. Merit of Monza, who breaks it with skill, making density and merit of the changes of Palladino, who inserts race and quantity in progress, limiting the signs of growth of a Bologna that stops after the successes with Spezia and Fiorentina. Monza, on the other hand, continues to run, with a lot of defensive solidity and effective counter-attacks. And with Di Gregoria very skilled in the final scrum to block the ball in the middle of six Bologna players.
Udinese-Sassuolo 2-2 (Ansa)
Udinese equal with Sassuolo
Scoring of goals in the first half and long digestion in the second for the draw (2-2) between Udinese and Sassuolo in the Dacia Arena lunch match. For the landlords, the appointment with the victory in Friuli, which has been missing since 18 September, when they defeated Inter, has been postponed again. Five months of abstinence – including the World stop – which resulted in a mini protest and final whistles. Good point for the neroverdi who instead continue their positive streak in the second round.
In the field
Sottil recovers Pereyra and places him behind Beto, giving up Success, on the bench together with Thauvin. Dionisi had to do without the suspended Rogerio and almost immediately lost Berardi due to an injury. Twenty-two seconds are enough for Udinese to take the lead: fanned out on the left, Sassuolo’s defense falls into catalepsy and Udogie can stop, concentrate and beat Consigli without encountering the slightest resistance.
The tribute to Zaccheroni
All while the curve is still praising Alberto Zaccheroni mister of the historic third place. Two minutes go by and Sassuolo nearly equalise: on Frattesi’s shot there is a deflection that puts Silvestri out but Perez saves on the line. It is a premonitory sign of the lack of attention even from the home defence: in the 6th minute the visitors’ goal arrives with a shot from Henrique, whose shot, fouled by Bijol, deceives his own goalkeeper. The hosts feel the pinch and in the 26th minute risk going under: strong action by Marchizza on the left and a perfect cross into which Frattesi inserts himself who hits the post with a sensational volley. A little over a minute goes by and it’s the black and whites who find the advantage: Samardzic’s precise cross from a free kick and Bjiol breaks into the split, burning his opponents and Consigli, with the defense still guiltyly motionless.
The recovery
In this adventurous first half, the equalizer arrived at the last moment of the 2′ of added time: Bajrami sowed panic and let go of a shot that hits Perez for the most classic of own goals. Changes in the interval: Dionisi inserts Lopez for Obiang and Sottil replies with Thauvin for Pereyra, author of excellent plays but still short of breath after three weeks off. It’s the Friulians who have the first ball for overtaking: on 15′, Bijol throws 50 meters who catches Beto very freely on the spot. The Portuguese tries a volley that ends in the corner. In the 18th minute the black and greens responded – today in blue – with Bajrami taking advantage of yet another defensive blunder and shaving the post with a low shot. From that moment on, the Bianconeri collected corners, but always lacked the decisive deflection in the scrums that lit up under the goal. The most dangerous sees Udigie one step away from the brace. Lovric then tries (28 ‘) with an insertion from behind: Consigli replies on his par and Tressoldi sweeps Beto’s subsequent header tap-in onto the line, on his last shot before giving way to Success. In the final 10’ there is also time for the home debut of sixteen-year-old Pafundi, the baby talent already called up by Mancini. But the result doesn’t change, despite the scorecard reading 12 shots to 1 for the hosts. A lot of production, little precision.