Osimhen looks from the stands as Empoli stun Napoli

It was raining in Campana as if the sky was ‘crying’ after seeing how badly Napoli is playing, but no one will shed a tear if the Italian champions sack Rudi Garcia after another disappointing game and a fatal week. It would be a real miracle - even greater than when this club won the Scudetto - if the former Roma, Marseille and Lyon strategist could withstand the tense atmosphere in which he found himself following the defeat by Empoli (0:1). It's hard to explain what a team that lifted the trophy in style looks like just months afterwards. It leaks everywhere: whether in the defence prone to regularly receiving goals, whether in the midfield unable to create valid chances, whether in the attack, which without Victor Osimhen looks like nothing. Even if the Nigerian was healthy, the question is whether he could save the Neapolitans from sinking, who, after only 1:1 in the meeting with Union Berlin, showed a series of weaknesses against one of the most modest teams in Italy and are currently eight points behind leaders Juventus.

That point difference can be reduced but with someone else on the bench. Nobody has been happy with Rudy Garcia lately, and why Aurelio Da Laurentiis, after the split with Luciano Spelletti, decided to give the Frenchman the key of his team is beyond any common sense. Even if he won the game, the same impression would remain: Napoli does not have the quality to defend the title. It was also seen today, as their game was slow, deconcentrated, unbalanced and pointless, based only on individual moves. Osimhen was in the stands, and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia started on the bench, so the home team had to look for alternative ways to score. Politano broke through from a distance, followed immediately by Angisa's header, and in the second half, Kvaratskhelia came and had the best chance minutes before the final whistle, but Empoli’s Etrito Berisha saved all that was thrown at him. The punishment came in injury time when Viktor Kovalenko, the reserve player, shocked the home crowd with the winner. This was only the third victory of the season for Andrea Andreocoli's team and the probable farewell of Rudi Garcia from the Napoli bench.

SERIE A - MATCHDAY 12

Friday

Genoa - Verona 1-0 (1-0)

/Dragusin 44/

Saturday

Lecce - Milan 2-2 (0-2)

/Sansone 66, Banda 70 - Giroud 28, Reijders 35/

Juventus - Cagliari 2-1 (0-0)

/Bremer 60, Rugani 70 - Dossena 75/

Monza - Torino 1-1 (0-0)

/Colpani 65 - Ilic 55/

Sunday

Napoli - Empoli 0-1 (0-0)

/Kovalenko 90+1/

17.00: (2.10) Fiorentina (3.50) Bologna (3.80)

17.00: (3.90) Udinese (3.50) Atalanta (2.05)

20.00: (2.90) Lazio (3.15) Roma (2.75)

22.45: (1.20) Inter (7.25) Frosinone (12.0)

***odds are subject to change