EMPOLI (ITALPRESS) – A hard-fought victory for Antonio Conte’s Napoli, which thanks to Kvaratskhelia’s penalty beat a Corsican Empoli 1-0 and proactive for large stretches of the match. Thus, the Neapolitan eleven returns to look down on everyone, which, after Juventus’ 1-0 win over Lazio and the momentary hooking in the standings by the Bianconeri, regains the lone top spot on 19 points. Good start by Empoli, which scares Napoli with a double chance: the first, on Esposito’s volley, the second, with Pezzella’s left-footed conclusion on Gyasi’s cross from the right, both defused in the dive by Caprile. As the minutes passed, the Azzurri’s pressure did not grow properly, with Empoli, with quality and pace, continuing to trouble their opponents with leg and dangerous initiatives. Reduced to a minimum the offensive presence of Conte’s men, who arrived at halftime with a few too many problems in the middle of the field, given the effective countermeasures adopted by D’Aversa to block Gilmour and especially Anguissa in the building phase. At the start of the second half, however, the Parthenopeans appeared the same as in the first half, with Conte inserting Simeone for Lukaku at 59′ – as well as Olivera for Spinazzola -, and on the following action an initiative by Di Lorenzo just in search of the Argentine generated the penalty kick for Napoli: from the penalty spot went Kvaratskhelia who was very lucid in clearing Vasquez and putting his side ahead. The inertia of the match almost completely overturned and the impact of the goal relevant on the attitude of the Napoli players, who come into the management of a no longer so brilliant Empoli. D’Aversa therefore tried to shake up his lineup with several offensive changes, but without finding the way to the net and thus surrendering the first home stop of his championship. – Photo Ipa Agency -(ITALPRESS).
