In Sunday’s early Serie A kickoff, Napoli hosted Empoli at the Maradona Stadium. The Partenopei just couldn’t find a way past Azzurri goalkeeper Etrit Berisha who was sensational between the posts. Eventually, Viktor Kovalenko came off the bench to score a fabulous winner for the visitors in added time as his coach Aurelio Andreazzoli cemented himself as the ultimate bogeyman in Naples. So here are our player ratings for Napoli who have all but surrendered their Scudetto title with a shocking 0-1 defeat at the hands of Empoli.
Napoli (4-2-3-1)
Pierluigi Gollini – 6.5
The second-fiddle goalkeeper was arguably his team’s best performer, pulling off a few fine saves after replacing Alex Meret. However, there was nothing he could have done to prevent Kovalenko’s winner that bounced off the post.
Giovanni Di Lorenzo – 5.5
The Napoli captain was pegged back by Matteo Cancellieri as he rarely darted forward, especially in the second half.
Amir Rrahmani – 5.5
A shaky display from the Kosovan who at times struggled to contain the experienced Ciccio Caputo.
Leo Ostigard – 5.5
The hard-nosed Norwegian fought from start to finish, but he might have been one of the culprits on the Empoli goal after breaking the defensive line.
Mathias Olivera – 5
A lukewarm outing from the Uruguayan who was dispossessed in dangerous areas at times, while failing to offer significant support in attack.
André-Frank Zambo Anguissa – 6
A decent display from the Cameroonian who tested Berisha with a dangerous header. Did well to assert his authority in the middle of the park but at times lacked precision when trying to pick up a teammate.
Stanislav Lobotka – 5.5
This was arguably one of the Slovakian’s worst displays in the last 18 months or so. He looked unassured and wasteful with the ball at his feet.
Matteo Politano – 6
The former Sassuolo man started on a bright note and came extremely close to breaking the deadlock with a lovely curler. However, his impact dwindled after the break, and eventually left the pitch shaking his head.
Giacomo Raspadori – 5
A listless display from the Euro 2020 winner who started as a second striker before spearheading the lineup following Simeone’s exit, but hardly had any impact in the final third in both roles.
Eljif Elmas – 5.5
The versatile North Macedonian started on the left wing but failed to set the flank ablaze. Left his place for Kvaratskehlia after the break as Rudi Garcia returned to the basics.
Giovanni Simeone – 6
The Argentine striker thought he had broken the deadlock but turned out to be in an offside position. He also released Politano with a clever play. But all in all, he paid the price for a lack of service as he left the pitch early in the second half.
Substitutes
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia – 6
The Serie A MVP certainly upgraded his team’s attacking threat but squandered two chances to put his side in the lead. He also set up Lindstrom with a sublime pass.
Piotr Zielinski – 5
The Pole offered very little after coming in as he struggled against the pressure of Jacobo Fazzini and Kovalenko.
Jens Cajuste – 5
Picking up a booking was the Swede’s lone highlight. Lost track of Tyronne Ebuehi and Kovalenko ahead of the winner.
Jesper Lindstrom – 5.5
The Dane wasted a glorious chance to score from the edge of the box as Berisha pulled off another fine save.
Mario Rui – N/A
The unfortunate Portuguese sustained an injury after coming in, leaving Napoli with a man down.
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