For the fifth time this season, Napoli CF responded from a disappointing result with a resounding victory at home, scoring six against Tavagnacco Femminile.
Lineup
Dimitri Lipoff made a number of changes after Napoli’s disappointing performance against Cittadella, including switching to a 3-4-1-2 formation.
Paola Di Marino played in the centre of the back three, with full backs Aurora Di Sanctis and Martina Di Bari starting on the bench.
Claudia Mauri played alongside Giulia Ferrandi in the centre of the midfield. Contrary to the official formations, Serena Landa started on the left side of the midfield four and Giulia Giacobbo started on the right.
Finally, Romina Pinna started over Sara Tamborini as the trequartista.
First Half
Napoli burst out of the gates, scoring twice in the opening four minutes. In the 2nd minute, Adriana Gomes fought to maintain possession in the Tavagnacco area before laying the ball off to Romina Pinna. She calmly sidestepped the defender before blasting a left-footed shot into the top corner.
Gomes was rewarded for her efforts only two minutes later. Giulia Giacobbo completed an impressive team move, where Napoli played nine consecutive passes to build out of the back. The midfielder cut in from the right wing before slipping a perfectly-weighted through ball to Gomes in the area. The striker made no mistake, scoring her 11th goal of the season with a shot into the bottom corner at the far post.
The Partenopee were relentless in attack. In the 13th minute, Paola Di Marina flicked a header from Giulia Ferrandi’s in-swinging free kick towards the goal but hit the upright. Seven minutes later, Pinna picked out Gomes with a long through ball into the area, but Marchetti was quick off her line to block the striker’s effort. On the ensuring corner kick, Ferrandi went for goal from 30 yards out but narrowly missed the bottom corner. In the 32nd minute, Ferrandi picked out Elisa Del Estal with a cross into the area, but the forward’s header was straight at Marchetti. Moments later, Serena Landa’s effort from a tight angle was pushed off the frame of the goal and out by Marchetti.
It was only a matter of time before Napoli scored their third, and that moment came in the 43rd minute. Federica Veritti played the ball to Landa on the left wing. She crossed to the first post, where Del Estal got behind the Tavagnacco back line to redirect the ball into the bottom corner.
Napoli had one last chance before the break. Once again Landa tested Marchetti from the left side of the area and once again the goalkeeper pushed the shot out for a corner kick.
Second Half
The second half was much more of the same. Less than a minute into the half, Del Estal played Gomes into the area. The Napoli bomber split between the defenders but once again Marchetti was quick off her line to block the shot.
Napoli continued to surge forward and scored a fourth in the 54th minute. Gomes played Ferrandi on the overlap on the left side. She crossed to Del Estal at the first post. The Spaniard’s first effort was blocked but she saved the ball from going out for a goal kick and played it back to Ferrandi on the left side of the area. Ferrandi’s low cross rolled past Gomes but found substitute Antonia Dulcic near the penalty spot. Dulcic, who replaced Giacobbo at the break, hit the ball first-time into the bottom corner to become Napoli’s ninth different goal-scorer this season.
Meanwhile, Tavagnacco struggled to create anything in attack. They didn’t win their first corner kick until the 63rd minute – by contrast, Napoli won seven corner kicks in the first half alone.
The wide margin did not stop the Partenopee from pushing forward. In the 63rd minute, Landa played the ball to Pinna on the left wing. The Italian cut in towards the centre of the area before blasting another shot into the top corner, this time with her right boot into the top-right corner. That was Pinna’s 7th goal of the season.
Del Estal was determined to score a second as well. In the 71st minute, the ball fell to the Spaniard in the area. She turned and fired but the low shot rolled wide of the far post. Del Estal came close again less than ten minutes later, but Marchetti pounced on the loose ball just before the forward got to it.
However, Del Estal persisted and scored her third of the season three minutes later. After her initial pass in the area was blocked, Del Estal played a clever, back-heel turn to dribble past Gloria Magni before beating Marchetti with a low shot from close range.
Pinna nearly completed the tripletta with a direct free kick in the first minute of stoppage time but the shot sliced wide of the top corner. Nevertheless, Napoli coasted to the 6-0 victory. It was the fifth time this season that Napoli responded to a poor result on the road with an impressive victory at home:
- After a 1-1 draw at Ravenna on Matchday 4, Napoli responded with a 4-0 thrashing of Ternana on Matchday 5;
- After suffering their first defeat to Cesena on Matchday 7, Napoli beat Brescia 4-2 on Matchday 8;
- After another 1-1 draw, this time in Verona, on Matchday 9, Napoli thumped Genoa 4-0 on Matchday 10;
- After a third 1-1 draw against San Marino on Matchday 11, Napoli beat league-leaders Lazio 2-0 on Matchday 12; and
- Now, after a disappointing defeat to rivals Cittadella on Matchday 14, Napoli unleased six on Tavagnacco on Matchday 15.
With the win, Napoli moved temporarily to the top of the table, with Lazio and Cittadella still to play. Lazio beat Arezzo 1-3 while Cittadella drew Sassari Torres 1-1. As a result, Napoli move back into second position, two points behind Lazio.
Post Match
Serena Lando addressed the media after the match.
“Here in Cercola we really manage to express ourselves at our best. The public helps us a lot and then we manage to play wide, putting our opponents in difficulty. The balance of the first round is positive but in the second leg we aim to do better. It will be a challenge against ourselves to try and give that extra something that is needed to hit the target. I too must have greater continuity of performance and maybe even add a few goals to the good performances like today.”
