After a horrible start to the season, Napoli bounced back with a hard-earned 3-0 home victory against Bologna on Sunday night. The hosts’ performance flattered to deceive, but they grabbed an all-important win, nonetheless.
Napoli entered the match under significant pressure following a humiliating 3-0 defeat at Hellas Verona on the opening weekend. Despite sporadic attempts, Antonio Conte’s side couldn’t find their feet in the first half before a moment of inspiration from Khvicha Kvaratskhelia broke the deadlock.
The Georgian winger spotted Giovanni Di Lorenzo’s darting run behind the lines and chipped the ball over the top, setting the right-back one-on-one with Lukasz Skorupski. The Napoli skipper found the net from only a few yards out to fire his team in front on the stroke of halftime.
Napoli spent most of the second half defending their slender advantage, often relying on feeble counters to hurt Bologna. However, Kvaratskhelia showed his class again to bail Conte’s team out of trouble.
He carried the ball from the halfway line to the edge of the box and unleashed a shot, which took a slight deflection and caught Skorupski on the back foot. There was no way back for Bologna from there. Giovanni Simone put the icing on the cake off the bench in injury time.
Napoli (3-4-2-1)
Alex Meret – 6
Apart from a relatively comfortable save to deny Santiago Castro midway through the first half, the Italian goalkeeper was rarely called to intervene.
Giovanni Di Lorenzo – 7.5
After a disappointing EURO 2024 and a disastrous game against Verona, the Napoli captain returned to his best, dominating his opponents at the back and finding the back of the net after a clever run into the channel.
Amir Rrahmani – 7
Barring a tactical foul, which saw him get in the referee’s book, the Kosovo international didn’t put his foot wrong tonight.
Alessandro Buongiorno – 7
The former Torino defender enjoyed a superb home league debut for Napoli, delivering a top-notch defensive performance to justify his monstrous price tag.
Pasquale Mazzocchi – 6.5
Like last weekend, the offensive-minded wingback chipped in with a lively showing on the right flank, though he may want to improve his composure in the final third.
Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa – 6
He was a disaster against Verona and struggled again tonight, perhaps showing why Conte is keen to bring Scott McTominay from Manchester United.
Stanislav Lobotka – 6.5
The diminutive midfielder pulled all the strings in the center of the pitch with his hallmark passing and constant movements off the ball.
Mathias Olivera – 6
Far less involved than his colleague on the right, the Uruguayan was quiet going forward, but he held up his end of the bargain at the back.
Matteo Politano – 6
Given the number of shots he took, you’d expect him to hit the target at least once. But the left-footed winger didn’t set his crosshairs right.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia – 8
His individual brilliance helped Napoli break the deadlock as his delightful chip over Bologna defenders set Di Lorenzo on a silver platter. After hitting the bar in the first half, he sealed Bologna’s fate with a brilliant solo goal in the second.
Giacomo Raspadori – 6
Except for an early chance, it was a frustrating evening for the ex-Sassuolo forward. He’ll undoubtedly move to the bench when Romelu Lukaku arrives from Chelsea.
Substitutes
Leonardo Spinazzola – 5.5
Giovanni Simeone – 6.5
David Neres – 6.5
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