Napoli assured themselves of a place in the Top 3 of the Serie A as they beat Genoa 3-0 at home. Goals from Victor Osimhen, Lorenzo Insigne and Stanislav Lobotka got them three points and the visitors were relegated to Serie A.
Starting XIs: Napoli Unchanged, Genoa Make Two Changes
Napoli made no changes from their victory in Turin while Alexander Blessin’s side made a couple of tweaks to the team that scripted a late comeback against Juventus last weekend. Albert Gudmundsson who scored in that match, came in for Filippo Melegoni while Kelvin Yeboah replaced Mattia Destro upfront.
Osimhen Puts Napoli Ahead
Genoa were looking to attack and the first golden opportunity of the match fell to them. Unfortunately, Yeboah’s shot hit the crossbar. Minutes later, Nadiem Amiri’s shot was wide. Insigne had a good chance to score but his curling shot did not have enough bend to find the net. Genoa had another scoring chance when Portanova was through on goal. However, Mario Rui made a crucial challenge to deny him from taking a shot.
Napoli eventually found their opener after Di Lorenzo’s cross was headed in by Osimhen. They continued to put pressure on the Genoa defense with Insigne going past a few defenders before striking the post.
Insigne Finds the Net in Final Match at the Maradona
Napoli started the second half strongly and were looking to extend their lead from the very first minute. Genoa had a scoring opportunity through Domenico Criscito but his left-footed shot was just wide.
Napoli had a good chance to score at the hour-mark as Osimhen sped towards goal. However, the Nigerian’s shot was blocked by Sirigu. The Partenopei had a very good chance to double their lead when they were awarded a penalty due to a handball from Hernani. Up stepped Insigne and his shot hit the post before Giovanni di Lorenzo tucked it in from the rebound.
However, the right-back encroached the penalty area when his captain was taking his shot. Hence, the spot-kick had to be retaken. This time, Insigne found the net and was overcome with emotion.
Napoli looked to have a stranglehold on the match but Genoa had their moments. Amiri had a shot at goal and David Ospina was forced to make a save to deny him. Napoli found a third thanks to a brilliant strike from Lobotka, who made a good run towards goal before finding the net. This was the Slovak’s first goal in Serie A.
Insigne was subbed off to a roaring applause from the Napoli supporters and his colleagues at the club.
What’s Next for Napoli and Genoa
Napoli will next travel to Liguria for their final match of the 2021/22 season against Spezia who were able to avoid relegation after beating Udinese 3-2 in Udine. Spalletti &co. will look to defeat the Aquilotti and end their season on a high. They have more than a fair chance of doing so.
Genoa play their final match of the season against Bologna at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris and will hope to finish a disappointing season with a win before aiming to return to Serie A for the 2023/24 season. However, defeating Bologna won’t be easy for the Grifone considering the quality of the two teams.
MATCH SCORECARD
May 15, 2022 – Serie A 2021-2022 Round 37
NAPOLI – GENOA 3-0
SCORERS: 32′ Osimhen, 65′ Insigne, 81′ Lobotka
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NAPOLI (4-2-3-1): Ospina; Di Lorenzo, Rrahmani, Koulibaly, Mario Rui (73′ Ghoulam); Anguissa (84′ Demme), Fabian (73′ Lobotka); Lozano, Mertens (73′ Zielinski), Insigne; Osimhen (Meret, Juan Jesus, Malcuit, Zanoli, Demme, Elmas, Ounas, Petagna, Politano) Coach: Spalletti |
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GENOA (4-2-3-1): Sirigu; Hefti (55′ Hernani), Bani, Ostigard, Criscito; Badelj (69′ Frendrup), Galdames (75′ Melegoni); Gudmundsson (75′ Destro), Amiri, Portanova (56′ Ekuban); Yeboah (Semper, Vodisek, Masiello, Vazquez, Ghiglione, Cambiaso, Rovella) Coach: Blessin |
NOTES: Yellow Cards: Lobotka (N); Galdames (G); Added Time: 1st Half 5′, 2nd Half 0′