Napoli Edges Closer to Serie A Glory with Narrow Victory Over Lecce
In a match that was as much about emotion as it was about football, league leaders Napoli took a significant step towards clinching the Serie A title. Their 1-0 victory over a struggling Lecce on Saturday has kept them three points ahead of their closest rivals, Inter Milan. With this win, Napoli now sits comfortably at 77 points, while Inter Milan trails closely with 74 points after their own victory against Hellas Verona later that day. Meanwhile, Lecce remains precariously positioned at 17th in the standings, just one place and one point above the relegation zone.
The hero of the day for Napoli was Giacomo Raspadori, whose first-half free kick secured the all-important three points for the visitors. This victory marks Napoli’s fourth successive win, while Lecce’s woes continue as they extend their winless streak to 12 games.
Napoli’s coach, Antonio Conte, couldn’t hide his satisfaction after the match. “It’s an important step, I can’t lie,” he admitted. “We’re on track and we want to stay there until the end. Nobody will remember if we finish second or if we had a good season. History must be written and you do it by winning: The others read it.”
The atmosphere at the Stadio Via del Mare was charged with emotion, not just because of Lecce’s dire league position, but also due to the recent passing of their physiotherapist, Graziano Fiorita. A minute’s silence was observed before the match, with both teams gathering near the home bench to pay their respects. The death had occurred while Lecce was preparing for their previous game against Atalanta, which was subsequently rescheduled. Lecce’s dissatisfaction with having to play so soon after the bereavement was palpable.
In a show of solidarity, Lecce played against Atalanta in a white jersey devoid of logos, bearing the words ‘No values, no colours’ on the chest. Against Napoli, it was the fans’ turn to express their anger, with fireworks and flares lighting up the opening minutes behind the Lecce goal. The match was briefly halted for over five minutes when some of these pyrotechnics landed on the pitch.
Before the interruption, Napoli had found the net in the second minute, but Romelu Lukaku‘s goal was disallowed for offside. Once play resumed, Raspadori seized the opportunity in the 24th minute, delivering a powerful low free kick from the edge of the box into the far corner, giving Napoli the lead.
Lecce came close to equalizing when Kialonda Gaspar‘s header from a corner struck the crossbar. Raspadori had another chance to extend Napoli’s lead but missed the target after being set up by Scott McTominay.
Napoli had another goal disallowed early in the second half due to a foul by McTominay on the keeper during a corner kick, before Mathías Olivera‘s header. Despite this setback, Lecce fought hard to find an equalizer. Thorir Helgason’s dipping shot was expertly tipped over by Napoli’s keeper Alex Meret, and another Helgason free kick narrowly missed the upright.
In the closing stages, Napoli pulled everyone back, content to defend their narrow lead. With just three games remaining, this victory solidifies Conte’s side’s grip on the top spot, bringing them tantalizingly close to the Serie A title.
- Napoli: 77 points
- Inter Milan: 74 points
- Lecce: 17th place, one point above relegation
Information from Reuters and The Associated Press was used in this report.
Originally Written by: ESPN
