On Friday night, Napoli opened the 23rd round of Serie A in an away fixture at the Mapei Stadium, but their loyal fanbase almost made it feel as if the match was held at the Maradona. Therefore, it was no surprise to see the runaway leaders taking over from the get-go, especially with the indomitable Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Victor Osimhen in red-hot form. So here are our player ratings for Napoli who secured a 2-0 win over their hosts Sassuolo to open a temporary gap of 18 points with their closest chaser.
Napoli (4-3-3)
Alex Meret – 6
Once again, the former Udinese custodian had little to do throughout the evening, earning another routine clean sheet.
Giovanni Di Lorenzo – 6.5
The Napoli captain was given a few early scares by Armand Laurienté, but he eventually cemented his authority on the right flank.
Amir Rrahmani – 6.5
A solid display from the former Verona man who has been incredibly reliable this term.
Kim Min-jae – 7
A superb showing from the South Korean defender who retrieved the ball on countless occasions and occasionally played a part in his team’s attacking moves.
Mathias Olivera – 5.5
The Uruguayan got a rare starting berth ahead of Mario Rui, but was lucky to see VAR disallow Laurienté’s goal for a dubious offside call, as he was the main culprit on this occasion.
André-Frank Zambo Anguissa – 6.5
The Cameroonian bossed the middle of the park, allowing his team to dominate position and launch a flurry of attacks.
Stanislav Lobotka – 7
A wonderful display from the Slovakian who easily anticipated Sassuolo’s plays and won back possession for his team, all while playing his usual role as the main orchestrator in midfield.
Eljif Elmas – 6
An energetic display from the versatile North Macedonian who started as a box-to-box midfielder before switching to the wings in the second half. But perhaps he could have done better on one or two occasions in front of goal.
Matteo Politano – 6
Not a bad outing from the right winger on his return to the Mapei, but it ultimately pales in comparison with the performances of his attacking partners. Left the pitch early in the second half after sustaining a knock.
Victor Osimhen – 7.5
The former Lille striker was a true menace for the Sassuolo centre-back for as long as he lasted before sustaining a slight injury late in the match. Scored from what seemed to be an impossible angle to extend his lead in the Capocannoniere race.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia – 8
The Georgian once again proved to be a cheat code of a footballer. Scored a simply astonishing goal as he took on several opponents in a fabulous solo run. Delivered a splendid cross to Osimhen with the outside of his foot.
Full Predictions for Serie A Round 23: Inter Seek Vengeance On Udinese
Substitutes
Piotr Zielinski – 5.5
The Pole made an unusual entry from the bench, but gifted the ball cheaply to Davide Frattesi before getting booked for a tactical challenge.
Tanguy Ndombelé – 5.5
Napoli saw their rhythm dropping following the introduction of the Frenchman who replaced Zambo Anguissa.
Hirving Lozano – 6
The Mexican delivered a wonderful cross for Simeone from the right side, but the goal was disallowed by VAR.
Giovanni Simeone – 6
The Argentine produced a slick finish with his head in added-time, but the goal didn’t stood.
Alessio Zerbin – N/A
 |
Follow us on Google News for more updates on Serie A and Italian football |