Jorge Alastuey’s first goal of the Primavera 1 campaign was the only goal of the match as Napoli Primavera ended their three-match winless run.
Lineup
Nicolo Frustalupi, who was suspended for this match, made one change to the squad he fielded against Roma, with Luigi D’Avino starting over the suspended Nosa Obaretin in the back three.
(3-4-2-1) Boffelli; Hysaj, Barba, D’Avino; Acampa, Gioielli, Alastuey, Marchisano; Sahli, Spavone; Pesce
Match
Cagliari created the first half-chance of the match in the 7th minute, after Michele Carboni blocked Bilel Sahli’s clearance. The midfielder went for goal from the right corner of the area but the ball bounced comfortably into the arms of Valerio Boffelli.
Napoli responded with a half-chance of their own a minute later. Matteo Marchisano crossed the ball into the area from the right wing. Francesco Gioielli won the header but, with the cross was slightly behind the midfielder, he was unable to hit the target.
Napoli continued to push forward and earned a corner kick three minutes later. The Azzurri ran a set piece, with Alessandro Spavone playing a low pass to Jorge Alastuey on the left side of the area. The Spaniard hit the ball first-time with his preferred left boot and beat Cagliari goalkeeper Velizar-Iliya Iliev to give Napoli a 1-0 lead.
The Azzurrini nearly doubled their lead two minutes later after a give and go between Spavone and Marchisano on the right wing. Marchisano lost possession momentarily before sliding to win the ball back in the Cagliari area. The right-sided midfielder cut the ball back into the danger area but somehow it rolled through the crowd and nothing came of the opportunity.
Cagliari nearly equalized in the 15th minute from a counter attack. Alessandro Vinciguerra played the ball into space for Michele Masala to run onto. The winger appeared to be clear on goal but Napoli captain Benedetto Barba raced back to block the shot.
The visitors came close again a minute later, after Isaías Delpupo cut in from he right wing and dribbled past Gioielli and Luigi D’Avino. The midfielder caught Boffelli deep in his goal and struck the ball with plenty of venom, but the shot was straight at the Napoli goalkeeper.
Throughout the match, Napoli did an excellent job of getting bodies in front of Cagliari’s shots. In the 22nd minute, Vinciguerra played a diagonal through ball to Luigi Palomba in the Napoli area. The defender appeared to have a free shot at goal but D’Avino shifted over and blocked the shot.
Second Half
Desperate for an equalizer, Cagliari increased the pressure in the second half, creating a chance only 30 seconds after the restart. Vinciguerra slipped the ball to Delpupo in the area. The midfielder turned and fired with this left but yet again, Barba got in the way of the shot.
Like at the start of the first half, Napoli responded once again with a chance of their own, again from a set piece. Alastuey played a short corner to Marchisano on the right wing and he played it all the way back to Barba. The defender played a long ball into the area. Gioielli won the header but got under the ball and it finished over the bar.
Though the Rossoblu dominated possession in the second half, Napoli defended well and limited their chances. Cagliari’s best chance of the half came in the 57th minute after Boffelli spilled the cross from Federico Arba. The Napoli shot-stopper was caught off his line but recovered well, diving to grab the ball as Masala attempted to dribble past him.
Though Cagliari had more of the ball, Napoli created the two best chances of the second half. In the 76th minute, substitute Cedrick Koffi fought hard to keep possession at the left corner before crossing the ball into the area. Palomba blocked the cross, but telegraphed his pass intended for midfielder Ivan Sulev. Alastuey anticipated the passed and stepped up to regain possession in the Cagliari area. With little support from his teammates, the midfielder went for goal from a tight angle, but his shot crashed off the bar and stayed out.
In the 86th minute, Alastuey picked out Sahli in the middle of the park. The Tunisia native fired a rocket on target from 25 yards out, but Iliev did well to tip the shot over the bar.
Cagliari turned up the pressure in the dying minutes of the match, coming close to equalizing in stoppage time. A mad scramble ensued from a Cagliari corner kick. The ball fell to defender Davide Veroli but his shot was blocked by Sahli. Substitute Ismael Konate picked up the rebound but his effort was blocked by Boffelli.
The triple whistle sounded moments later, with Napoli hanging on for an important 1-0 victory. Though tensions ran high after the match, neither side had any players sent off.
With both Atalanta and Milan securing victories (over Inter and Bologna, respectively), Napoli remained in the relegation playoff zone. However, the Azzurrini pulled within one point of Hellas Verona after their 1-2 defeat to Fiorentina.
