Super subs Hirving Lozano and Piotr Zielinski bailed out Napoli in a 2-0 win against Empoli. For much of the match, Empoli sat deep and played on the counter, conceding 75% possession to the hosts. However, a late penalty and red card changed the course of the game, and the league leaders picked up their 12th win of the season.
Napoli
Alex Meret – 6.5
Empoli managed only six shots (one on target), essentially giving Meret a day off.
Leo Skiri Ostigard – 6.5
Ostigard looked a little out of sync with the backline on a few of Empoli’s breakaway attempts. However, he was in decent form and made no serious errors.
Kim Min-jae – 7.5
The centre-back had a solid match, as he was greatly involved in Napoli’s build-up play. He played several long-range passes from deep, allowing his side to break out more than once.
Giovanni Di Lorenzo – 6.5
While a majority of Napoli’s attacks came from the right wing, Di Lorenzo and Politano struggled with the final ball. Often, the pair spent too much time passing the ball back-and-forth rather than playing in a much-needed cross.
Mario Rui – 7
From an advanced full-back position, Rui spent ample time on the ball. In the channel, he distributed well and helped his side dominate possession, but he failed to contribute much in the final third.
Andre-Frank Anguissa – 6
Anguissa played decently in the midfield, but he was unconvincing in the opposition’s half of the pitch. In the second half, he spoiled a prime chance, skying an uncontested shot from inside the box.
Stanislav Lobotka – 7
From the deep position in front of the backline, Lobotka was quietly an effective contributor. His passing and vision were on point, and he frequently switched the ball to facilitate attacking chances.
Tanguy Ndombele – 7.5
After a slow start to the match, Ndombele found his rhythm. He helped his side control possession and was crucial to progressing the ball into the attacking third.
Matteo Politano – 6.5
Like Di Lorenzo, Politano was active on offense, but he lacked execution in the final third. He turned the ball over multiple times, and Luciano Spalletti ultimately removed him in favor of Hirving Lozano.
Giacomo Raspadori – 5.5
While he used his hold-up play effectively in the midfield, Raspadori did not see much of the ball in the attacking third. He played a versatile, free-roaming role, but he was unable to contribute other than a decent shot late in first half.
Victor Osimhen – 7
In a frustrating performance, the striker won a late penalty for Napoli, taking the ball of the feet of Razvan Marin in the box. While Osimhen’s finishing was not exactly stellar, he ultimately came through for his club, creating the winning goal.
Substitutes
Hirving Lozano – 7
Just a few minutes after entering the field of play, Lozano converted a penalty kick to put his side in front.
Piotr Zielinski – 7
Zielenski scored a fine goal with five minutes remaining in the match, confirming the win for Napoli.
Elif Elmas – N/A
Giovanni Simeone – N/A
Diego Demme – N/A
Napoli are cooking in Serie A this season ? pic.twitter.com/rvzvyXLtOo
— GOAL (@goal) November 8, 2022
Empoli
Guglielmo Vicario – 5
Vicario really should have kept out Lozano’s penalty, which was poorly struck by Lozano. The goalkeeper was under pressure for the entirety of the match, but Napoli’s poor accuracy kept the scoreline reasonable.
Sebastiano Luperto – 5
An early yellow card handicapped Luperto’s ability to be aggressive, but the centre-back had a decent overall match. However, his physicality came back to haunt Empoli, as a second yellow card from the defender ended any hopes of a comeback.
Ardian Ismajli – 8.5
In one of the defensive performances of the season, Ismajli was the sole reason that Empoli did not allow at least three more goals. The Albanian’s one-on-one defending was top notch, and he won several aerial challenges to keep his side in the match.
Fabiano Parisi – 6
As the left-back, Parisi faced a monumental challenge against Politano and Di Lorenzo. He generally did well on defense, but he hung on to the ball for too long more than once, giving away unnecessary turnovers for his club.
Petar Stojanovic – 6.5
At times, Stojanovic looked a little reckless, playing haphazardly in the defensive third. However, the Slovenian international also helped his side break out occasionally, leading one dangerous counter attack that nearly put Empoli in front.
Razvan Marin – 5.5
Marin, who is at his best when he can play a box-to-box shuttling role, did not get much of an opportunity against Napoli. The Azzurri dominated possession, forcing the Romanian to remain reserved in front of the backline for much of the match.
Nicolas Haas – 5
Haas’ performance was rather disappointing, with the midfielder leaving the pitch after 60 minutes. He failed to distribute well or create chances for his side, eventually giving way to Jean-Daniel Akpa Akpro.
Filippo Bandinelli – 6.5
Napoli’s strong play on the right wing forced Bandinelli into spending much of his time on the pitch defending. He won a few challenges for his side, but he was unable to make much of a difference on offense.
Nedim Bajrami – 7
Bajrami made one decent foray into Napoli’s defensive zone, leading his side on a counter attack. However, the hosts’ domination of possession limited his time on the ball.
Tommaso Baldanzi – 6
The attacking midfielder helped spark a number of chances, but he was unable to provide much in the way of build-up play.
Martin Satriano – 5
Empoli needed a much better showing from their striker to get anything out of this match. He made a number of clumsy fouls and was ineffective against Napoli’s centre-backs.
Substitutes
Sam Lammers – 6.5
Lammers replaced Satriano as the number nine and provided Empoli with more of a spark. However, the red card hamstrung any attempt at a comeback.
Jean-Daniel Akpa Akpro – 5
The midfielder managed only ten touches in 30 minutes of play.