Napoli kicked off their Serie A season with a win away from home against Hellas Verona (2-5). It was the first real test in a while for i Partenopei, so Forza Napoli Press looks at five things we learned from Matchday 1.
1. Kvaratskhelia the real deal
Let’s get the obvious one out of the way: Khvicha Kvaratskhelia seems like the real deal. He already impressed during pre-season and continued to do so on Monday night. At the Bentegodi, Kvaratskhelia got his first goal and assist in the Serie A. The Georgian headed in the equalizer in the first half and assisted Piotr Zielinski for Napoli’s third with a pass showcasing his great vision. Apart from his goal involvements, Kvaratskhelia displayed his excellent technical ability with some quick dribbles. The winger can be very happy about his debut for i Partenopei.
2. No midfield worries (yet)
With Fabián Ruiz likely to leave and not in the squad, it was interesting to see how Napoli’s midfield would perform against Verona. Luciano Spalletti’s squad was in full control in their first match of the Serie A season, midfield included. Stanislav Lobotka impressed the most, as he looked very calm and comfortable on the ball. He also scored the fourth goal after a great run through the middle. His performance didn’t go unnoticed, as he was included in FotMob’s team of the week with an 8.7 rating.
3. Lack of concentration
Verona was able to score twice, even though the Napoli defense played well. The first goal came after Koray Günter head a corner towards Kevin Lasagna, who was left unmarked at the second post. Thomas Henry finished off a Davide Faraoni cross that came shortly after a throw in. The French striker was unmarked as well, which arguably showcased a little bit of miscommunication between Kim Min-jae and Amir Rrahmani. It should be noted that both goals came after breaks. The first one after a cooling break, the second a couple minutes after halftime. Napoli lacked focus in these moments.
4. Koulibaly’s successor
While the expectations for Kvaratskhelia were high, Kim also had some big boots to fill. Replacing Kalidou Koulibaly is and will not be easy, but the South Korean was off to a good start against Verona. It looks like Kim has settled in well, already looking pretty comfortable in the Napoli defense. What caught the eye were his aggressive interceptions and quality in the air. The partnership between him and Rrahmani should only get better going forward.
5. The battle of the right wing
Hirving Lozano was chosen by Spalletti to start on the right wing. The Mexican did well, especially in the first half. Lozano was constantly troubling the Verona defense, with only his finishing being off the mark. He could’ve had an assist when he squared the ball to Victor Osimhen, but the striker missed the target. After 76 minutes, Matteo Politano replaced Lozano. The technician nearly scored with his first shot, but his curler went just wide. Not long after, he made it five for Napoli. Lozano played well, while Politano had a great substitute appearance, so it seems like the pair will fight it out for the right wing position. New signings could obviously still prevent that.
