Di Lorenzo's late strike sends Napoli five points clear in Serie A

Napoli’s Giovanni Di Lorenzo celebrates with Romelu Lukaku and Alessandro Buongiorno after scoring against Lecce during their Serie A match in Naples October 26, 2024. — AFP pic

Sunday, 27 Oct 2024 11:01 AM MYT

NAPLES, Oct 27 — Giovanni Di Lorenzo made sure Napoli will stay top of Serie A this weekend after firing the winner in yesterday’s 1-0 win over Lecce to move his team five points clear.

Captain Di Lorenzo bundled home the only goal of a scrappy game in Naples after Scott McTominay’s header from a corner was saved by Lecce goalkeeper Wladimiro Falcone, giving Napoli their fourth win in as many matches.

The Italy full-back’s third goal of the season for Napoli came after he was denied in the first half when his close-range finish was rightly ruled out for offside.

Napoli are comfortably ahead of second-placed Inter Milan, who host Juventus late today in the biggest match to date of their league title defence.

“It was a really important match for us, we tried in every way possible to score and in the end we managed to do it,” said Di Lorenzo to DAZN.

Antonio Conte’s side created little else against spirited Lecce, who remain second from bottom on five points after a fourth straight defeat, as Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Matteo Politano started on the bench.

Romelu Lukaku fluffed Napoli’s best chance of the match when he skied over from inside the six-yard box nine minutes after half-time, and the hosts’ were panicky in the final minutes as Lecce pushed for a leveller.

Lecce came into the match on the back of last weekend’s 6-0 home hammering at the hands of Fiorentina which put coach Luca Gotti’s job at risk but went toe-to-toe with Napoli and on another day could have easily left with a point.

“I don’t like to lose, even with our heads held high,” said Lecce coach Luca Gotti.

“But I’ll take the attitude of our players today, let’s hope we can take it into the coming matches.”

On Tuesday, Napoli travel to the San Siro to face AC Milan, who sit fifth and will not play this weekend after yesterday’s match at Bologna was postponed due to torrential rain and flooding.

Bologna and its surrounding areas are still reeling from a massive downpour over last weekend which claimed the life of a 20-year-old man.

Swathes of the Emilia-Romagna region in northern Italy, much of which is fertile agricultural flatland, were left under water following a second round extreme weather in a matter of weeks.

On Friday Serie A president Lorenzo Casini said the match would likely be played in February due to the two clubs’ Champions League commitments and Milan’s involvement in the four-team Italian Super Cup which will be played in Saudi Arabia in early January. — AFP