Turin-Napoli 1-0: goal by Simeone

Giovanni Simeone sends Toro to heaven, and a couple of sharp dribbles are enough to fill the Granata locker room with happiness and also make fun of fate a little. The only Argentine to have won two championships under Vesuvius after Diego’s epic was the one who knocked out Antonio Conte’s Napoli, in their second stumble in the championship (after Milan against Allegri). For Marco Baroni it is an evening that repays him for a very tiring process but now he can unleash a three-point scream (it ends 1-0): his Toro plays a great first half, then knows how to suffer in the second half and gives himself a headline-grabbing night.

THE LAW OF THE EX

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Baroni decides that it is time for the Adams-Simeone pair of nines, Conte starts by leaving McTominay (sore left ankle) and Hojlund (trouble in his left thigh) in the stands. Toro-Napoli starts like this, between confirmations on the grenade side and surprises on the blue side. Baroni’s team confirms the trend: for a few days they have found the path to the game and continue to follow it with determination. Leaders Napoli are in difficulty faced with the often fluid maneuver of the Granata midfield and try to strike by darting vertically. In the quarter of an hour, a deadly shot from Vlasic: a full post with Milinkovic beaten. Asllani’s error (23′) and Pedersen’s weak touch give De Bruyne the visitors’ only chance in 45′: Coco finds himself on the path and avoids the goal. The feeling, however, is always that it is Toro who can find the goal due to how he holds the field and how he develops his dribbling. The lead comes in the 32nd minute: Tameze serves Adams, Gilmour puts his foot in and provides an involuntary assist for Simeone. Cholito sits Di Lorenzo down, Milinkovic dribbles: it’s 1-0 with the former’s most classic goal. Three minutes later Simeone again serves Pedersen the doubling ball, the Norwegian sends it into the corner.

GRENADE WALL

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In the first twenty minutes of the second half, Napoli tried to raise their center of gravity and intensity to put pressure on Toro. The Granata defense withstood the attack, conceding a few corners, a couple of shots from outside and calling Israel out a couple of times. At game time Baroni loses Simeone (injury), in his place is Ngonge. And when Toro concede the gap the ball goes to the feet of De Bruyne who shoots into the stands (23′). Conte also throws Politano into the mix, Napoli play much better in the second half and insistently look for an equalizer but the grenade wall (supported by Coco and Tameze) manages to keep Toro above the waterline. In full injury time, in the third minute, Napoli would also find an equalizer with Lang (after Politano’s post), but the Dutchman’s position is offside. And the VAR cancels one by one.