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'Il Capitano' keeps Napoli's top spot safe
Reading Time: 2min | Sat. 26.10.24. | 18:40
The Neapolitans beat Lecce behind the captain Di Lorenzo's winner to keep the Serie A top spot and increase the advantage over Inter Milan and Juventus
Napoli used to play very attractive football and convincingly beat their opponents since the season began. However, sometimes, you just have to push hard to find the winner and the triumph. Today was one of those days. Had it not been for the skipper Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Lecce would have snatched a valuable point from Stadio Diego Armando Maradona. Still, the defender netted the 73rd-minute winner to prevent the shock in Naples - 1-0.
🇮🇹Di Lorenzo’s goal! pic.twitter.com/j7qaGH8YZp
— Napoli Zone (@TheNapoliZone) October 26, 2024
Di Lorenzo's primary job isn't, of course, scoring, but today's goal proved that the 31-year-old plays his best football under Conte. He initially found the net in the 26th minute, but VAR disallowed his goal due to offside, while Scott McTominay and Romelu Lukaku wasted colossal opportunities.
5 - Napoli have won all of their first five games at Maradona in #SerieA under Antonio Conte, only twice in the past have they won all of their first five home games under a single manager: in 1989 with Bigon and in 2021 with Spalletti. Unstoppable.#NapoliLecce pic.twitter.com/wSI1gXmbLV
— OptaPaolo (@OptaPaolo) October 26, 2024
As the end of the game neared, the home team's players and fans were increasingly nervous, wanting to avoid a massive surprise and beat the penultimate team in the league. All until the 73rd minute, when Di Lorenzo used a rumble in Lecce's box and the confusion of the away team's defenders to send the ball home for an essential winner and the immense joy of almost 55,000 people at the stadium in Naples.
This winner gave the Neapolitans peace in the Serie A top spot as they are five points ahead of Inter Milan and six ahead of Juventus. Moreover, the two Napoli's rivals meet tomorrow in Derby d'Italia, meaning that at least one team won't be able to keep up with the club from the south of Italy.
SERIE A - MATCHDAY 9
Friday
Udinese - Cagliari 2-0 (1-0)
/Lucca 38, Davis 78/
Torino - Como 1-0 (0-0)
/Njie 75/
Saturday
Napoli - Lecce 1-0 (0-0)
/Di Lorenzo 73/
19.00: (3.60) Bologna (3.50) Milan (2.15)
21.45: (1.40) Atalanta (4.80) Verona (7.75)
Sunday
13.30: (2.25) Parma (3.50) Empoli (3.40)
16.00: (1.53) Lazio (4.10) Genoa (6.50)
16.00: (2.15) Monza (3.30) Venezia (3.50)
19.00: (1.80) Inter (3.65) Juventus (5.00)
21.45: (2.50) Fiorentina (3.30) Roma (2.85)
***odds are subject to change***
