Napoli’s top goal scorers both found the back of the goal as the Partenopee handed top-of-the-table Lazio their first defeat of the Serie B campaign.
Lineup
Dimitri Lipoff made three changes to the squad he fielded against San Marino Academy: Sabrina Tasselli started over Matilde Copetti in goal; Federica Veritti started over the suspended Paola Di Marino at centre back; and Romina Pinna started over Elisa del Estal up top.
Match
Napoli got off to a fantastic start, opening the scoring after only nine minutes. The Partenopee’s set piece from the corner kick was momentarily broken up, but Pinna regained possession and started again. She spotted Sara Tui at the corner of the area. Tui passed back to Claudi Mauri near the touchline, who threaded the needle to return the ball to Tui on the right side of the area. The Spaniard played a low, hard cross towards the near post, where Adriana Gomes met the ball to score her team-leading ninth goal of the season.
Gomes played like a woman possessed, winning every ball played in her direction. In the 25th minute she held the ball up in the area before passing back to Aurora De Sanctis. Her acrobatic effort was blocked, but the rebound fell to Claudia Mauri outside the area. The Napoli midfielder went for goal from 25 yards out and only narrowly missed the bottom corner.
Gomes showed her strength again in the 36th minute, this time shielding the ball on the right wing. She subsequently dribbled past ex-Napoli player Martina Toniolo before picking out Tui with a cross into the area. Tui made good contact on the header but the shot was straight at goalkeeper Emma Guidi.
Tui came close again five minutes after the restart. The Spaniard did well to control the cross from De Sanctis from the left wing. Tui touched the ball past defender Eleni Kakampouki before shooting with her left, but the looping effort bounced wide of the far post.
Moments later, Lazio coach Massimiliano Catini substituted his top goalscorer, Deppy Chatzinikolaou, who also has nine goals on the season. Like Toniolo and Sofia Colombo, Deppy is one three former Napoli players in the Lazio squad.
Only three minutes after the change, Napoli doubled their lead. Sara Tamborini played a long ball over the top to Pinna, who found herself in a race to the ball with Guidi. Pinna got a touch on the ball before a fortunate double ricochet (first off Guidi, then back off Pinna) caused the ball to roll towards the empty goal. Pinna continued her run and tapped in her fifth goal of the season, giving the home side a two-goal advantage.
Trailing by two, Lazio pushed forward but struggled to create quality scoring chances against Napoli’s staunch defense. With Chatzinikoloau off and second top-scorer, Noemi Visentin, suspended, Lazio lacked any bite in attack.
The Biancocelesti’s best chance came in the 57th minute, after Claudia Palombi pressed high and dispossessed Martina Di Bari. The forward dribbled into the area and went for goal, but her looping shot finished on the roof of the net.
Neither side threatened much after that. With the 2-0 victory, combined with Cesena and Ternana both dropping points, Napoli moved back up to second in the table, while also reducing the gap to Lazio to only two points.
The Femminile will now take a break for the holidays, before returning in January for Matchday 3 of the Coppa Italia.
Post-Match
Romina Pinna addressed the media after the match.
“We deservedly won and proved that we are certainly not inferior to the leaders. Now we will enjoy the Christmas holidays but immediately afterwards we will have to start over with the same determination shown in this match and which we will have to field in the Coppa Italia and in the two away games that await us in the second half. Cercola is our stronghold but by improving external performance, we will not be denied any goal”
