Napoli Take Four Point Lead On Top Of Serie A Without Star Player, Defeat Hellas Verona 2-0

The title race in Serie A is extremely heated with several teams currently in contention for the title. Napoli is one of the sides that is in the title race and they have a golden opportunity to pull clear at the top of the table as they have managed to pull a four point lead. The lead is currently in danger as second placed Inter Milan have two games in hand and with two wins can overtake Napoli at the top with a two point lead. Napoli defeated Hellas Verona 2-0 to get the three points to pull off the four point lead. 

Napoli Win Against Hellas Verona Despite Star Player Missing Out 

Without injured and unsettled star Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Napoli still took control of Serie A on Sunday.

Napoli coach Antonio Conte confirmed the previous day that Kvaratskhelia — nicknamed “Kvaradona” by the fans in homage to Diego Maradona — had asked to leave the club, with Paris Saint-Germain the likely destination.

His current teammates did not let themselves be affected by the controversy as they beat lowly Hellas Verona 2-0 to move four points clear of Inter Milan after the defending champion moved into second place earlier with a 1-0 win at Venezia.

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Atalanta was third after it was held 0-0 at Udinese on Saturday. Inter has played two fewer matches than Napoli and one less than Atalanta.

Kvaratskhelia was out of Sunday’s match in Naples through injury anyway, saving Conte from perhaps a difficult choice.

Napoli Get Payback On Hellas Verona

Verona had beaten Napoli 3-0 in Conte’s first league match in charge.

But there was no such danger this time as Napoli took the lead in the fifth minute. Giovanni Di Lorenzo played a one-two with Romelu Lukaku and then curled in a shot that hit the left post and went in off the back of Lorenzo Montipò, going down as an own-goal from the Verona goalkeeper.  

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Frank Anguissa should have doubled Napoli’s lead seconds later but he blazed over the bar from seven yards, falling to his feet and clutching his face after the miss.

He made up for it in the 61st minute with a spectacular goal as he cut inside from the right, played a one-two with Lukaku and then drove the ball powerfully into the near side of the net from outside the area.

(With AP Inputs)