Napoli ascended to the top of the Serie A standings with a comfortable 2-0 home victory against out-of-form Monza on Sunday evening. A quick-fire first-half double from Matteo Politano and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia secured three points for Antonio Conte’s title-bidding squad.
Last weekend’s 0-0 draw at Juventus failed to knock Napoli off their perch as they strolled to their fourth win in five Serie A outings since a 3-0 loss to Hellas Verona on matchday one. Despite lamenting less possession, the Partenopei dominated Monza in every other aspect.
Politano scored his first Serie A goal this season to break the deadlock in the 22nd minute. Only 11 minutes later, Kvaratskhelia made it 2-0 after pouncing on the rebound inside the box to put the game beyond Monza’s reach and ensure Napoli leapfrogged Juventus at the table’s summit.
Conte’s sixth win in his seventh competitive game in charge of Napoli came at the expense of Monza’s 15th consecutive match without winning. As Alessandro Nesta starts to fear for his future at the Brianteo, we look at our player ratings.
Napoli (4-3-3)
Elia Caprile – 6
With Napoli defenders doing all the heavy lifting, Alex Meret’s understudy only had to make one save on a relatively comfortable night.
Giovanni Di Lorenzo – 6
Considering Conte’s set-up, you’d expect more from the Napoli captain in the front third. However, he wasn’t at his best tonight.
Amir Rrahmani – 7
He’s becoming increasingly vital for Conte’s system as another spotless performance at the heart of the Partenopei backline solidified his starting berth.
Alessandro Buongiorno – 7
Like his defensive colleague, the former Torino center-back enjoyed a superb game, though he could’ve been more composed with the ball at his feet.
Mathias Olivera – 6.5
It wasn’t his fault Kvaratskhelia often refused to pass him the ball despite his repeated overlapping runs down the left flank. Impeccable at the back!
Stanislav Lobotka – 6.5
Now that he has two musclemen alongside him, the Slovakian midfielder should start taking more risks in possession. However, his risk-avert approach hindered his effectiveness in midfield.
Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa – 7
His timely interception was crucial to Napoli’s second. Though he read the game well and was constantly present in the build-up, he couldn’t find any ‘killer’ pass.
Scott McTominay – 7
It’s unsurprising that Conte has changed his formation because of the ex-Manchester United star. His movements between the lines could transform Napoli this season.
Matteo Politano – 7.5
Opened his season account in his 201st appearance for the club with an instinctive finish after picking up a fortunate rebound and continued to make Monza defenders feel his presence afterward.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia – 7
He needs to stop thinking he has to do everything alone. The finish was a top drawer, but the Georgian had way too many loose touches and gave away possession when he should’ve passed the ball to his teammates.
Romelu Lukaku – 6
Unexpectedly quiet by his standards, the robust striker failed to impact proceedings. Didn’t have a single chance to score.
Substitutes
Pasquale Mazzocchi – 6
David Neres – N/A
Giacomo Raspadori – N/A
Billy Gilmour – N/A
Leonardo Spinazzola – N/A
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