Napoli-Sampdoria 1-0: Petagna’s winning goal

The Azzurri conquer Maradona after three consecutive defeats and find the success that was missing from the victory with Milan. The team’s performance is comforting, always the owner of the field that struggles to find the goal but never suffers the opponent. Andrea Petagna, the best in the field, solves it not only for the beautiful goal but for the tactical work carried out throughout the 90 ‘. Sampdoria fielded the best forward but never worried Napoli, who defended third place and now hopes for Osimhen’s return (negativized yesterday) and Fabian, seen in the final. Too bad only for the injury to Insigne.

SPALLETTI IS BACK

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Now it is useless to talk about the absent, many from all over. The news is that Spalletti sees himself on the bench, negativizzatosi in the morning to be next to his boys. With D’Aversa he shares shortcomings of defenders, but the latter perhaps lacks Candreva more, the man of connection for the two phases. So Sampdoria maintains a low center of gravity and narrow lines but is not visible in front, where there are two exes like Gabbiadini and Quagliarella isolated and authors of the only two conclusions of the first half: the first high, the second shot saved. For the rest it is only Naples, which always controls the ball but finds little depth and the speed of execution is not flawless.

STOP INSIGNE

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Little public but eyes focused on Lorenzo Insigne who tries to invent something – a beautiful vertical on Ghoulam – but then in an acceleration he stretches his right adductor and is forced to exit. Spalletti enters Politano on the right and so Elmas moves to the left. Now Napoli tries to tighten the times and close Sampdoria in the last twenty meters. The scream of the goal remains in the throat of Juan Jesus who scores with a nice head detachment from Politano’s cross. But the Brazilian, who had scored his last goal in Serie A against the Sampdoria in November 2018, has one foot offside, just to cancel. The episode shakes Napoli which attacks with intensity. Elmas and Mertens triangulate in speed and Thorsby pulls the Belgian down, but Ferrari rejects short and Petagna with an elegant scissor kick from the left unlocks the game.

OF AVERSA CHANGES

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The Ligurian coach has to replace the goalkeeper Audero (who fell badly on the left flank with Falcone) but above all changes the system by launching the new signing Rincon (in place of Ekdal not at his best), low central with Torsby and Askindsen. We move to 4-3-3 with Quagliarella as center forward and Gabbiadini with the young man (2002) Ciervo larghi. But it is always Napoli to keep the ball in the game. And Sampdoria fails to raise the center of gravity. The hosts close to doubling, especially with a good action from Petagna-Elmas-Mertens, but the Belgian’s conclusion is on the side. D’Aversa also inserts Caputo alongside Quagliarella, with Gabbiadini as an attacking midfielder, but it is still Napoli to almost double with a nice left foot from Petagna saved and one from Mertens just out. Spalletti enters the new acquisition Tuanzebe to give rest to the commendable Ghoulam, with the Englishman going in the middle and Juan Jesus sliding to the left. Sampdoria fails to finish towards the goal and Napoli deserve to win.