Napoli overtook Atalanta to move to the top of the Serie A table after matchday nine. The Partonopei beat Cremonese 1-4 at the Stadio Giovanni Zini on Sunday, with Giovanni Simeone scoring another important match-winner. Here are three takeaways selected by Forza Napoli Press.
Breaking the Low Block
As expected, Cremonese set up in a low block – a strategy deployed with great effect by Lecce and Spezia earlier this season. Lecce managed a 0-0 draw at the Maradona, while Spezia held off the Azzurri for 89 minutes, before Giacomo Raspadori scored the late winner.
Luciano Spalletti countered with three approaches. First, he played Khvicha Kvaratskhelia from the first minute, despite the Georgian taking a heavy blow to the ankle earlier in the week against Ajax. With little space to pass the ball, a technical player like Kvaratshelia is useful on 1-v-1 situations. Kvara showed that midway through the first, dribbling past Matteo Bianchetti before drawing a foul by the defender in the area.
Second, Spalletti gave his young winger the freedom to roam. Kvaratskhelia frequently drifted towards the centre or even the right side of the pitch, with Raspadori dropping to create space in behind. It was exactly this type of run that led to the penalty kick.
Finally, Spalletti relied on the set piece – a play that is defended the same way regardless of the opponent’s defensive setup. Between Kim Min-jae, Amir Rrahmani, André-Frank Zambo Anguissa and Giovanni Simeone, Napoli are not lacking in aerial threats.
Super Simeone Sub
Simeone has a knack for scoring important goals. The Argentinian striker has already scored four goals in all competitions – two in Serie A and two in the Champions League. All four goals were scored as a substitute – El Cholito is averaging a goal every 69 minutes. Three of those four goals were match-winners.
With Victor Osimhen recovering from a thigh muscle injury, Spalletti has relied on an in-form Raspadori to start in the #9. However, the Napoli manager has stressed that substitutes are just as important as the starters, if not more important. Simeone is proving that to be true, coming off the bench and terrorizing opposition defenses. Raspadori tires defenders and Simeone feasts.
Goals Aplenty
With a 1-6 win over Ajax and a 1-4 win over Cremonese, Napoli have scored more goals than any other club in both Serie A (22) and the Champions League (13). Simeone’s goal was the 3,500th in club history, making Napoli the seventh Serie A club to achieve that milestone.
Against Cremonese, both Hirving ‘Chucky’ Lozano and Mathias Olivera scored their first goals of the campaign. For Olivera, it was his first in a Napoli shirt as well. With his 95th minute goal, Olivera became the 14th different player to score at least one goal for Napoli this season.
