Lecce-Napoli 0-1, Raspadori sends the Azzurri into ecstasy

Lecce, 3 May 2025 - In the context of a non-irresistible residual calendar, one of the last obstacles for the Napoli towards the dream of the Scudetto it is a difficult field like the Street of the Sea. In fact, the practice for the Azzurri will be anything but easy and you can already understand this when after a few minutes a goal by Lukaku is cancelled due to a back heel issue. The league leaders are good at getting good episodes, like the mocking free kick by Breakers which ends up in the back post thanks also to the veil of McTominay. Then there is also Lady Luck, who helps the Neapolitans on the crossbar hit by Gaspar, the episode that instead inflames the Lecce, whose attempts to hunt for a draw will however fail. The winner is again Napoli, which extends to +6 on 'Inter, called for a prompt response against the Verona tonight, but only to stay in the slipstream: for the Nerazzurri, the leadership of the standings seems more and more like a distant memory.  

The official lineups

Giampaolo choose a 4-2-3-1 open from Falcone, protected by Guilbert, Gaspar, baschirotto e Cock, in turn shielded by pierret e Kaba: in front there is Kristovic, assisted by Pierotti, Coulibaly e Karlsson. Tale reply with a 4-4-2 that he sees between the posts Meret, with By Lorenzo, Rrahmani, Olive e Spinazzola in defense: in midfield they are there politan, Anguissa, Lobotka e McTominay, while in attack it's up to the tandem Lukaku - Raspadori.  

First half

Ready, set and on Napoli takes the lead immediately with Lukaku, who deflects a cross-shot into the net with his shin politan: what seems to be a lucky start for the Azzurri is instead overturned by the intervention of VAR, who notices the irregular position by the number 11. The guests try to redeem themselves immediately, but by attacking from the other side: cross Spinazzola precisely for Lukaku, anticipated by baschirotto before the match was suspended for a few minutes due to smoke bombs being thrown from the home stand and the resulting damage to the goal netting Falcone. At 14' politan puts in the way for Anguissa, which does not give the right power in the head. Then in front the Lecce, who earns two consecutive corners, the first of which dangerously cuts across the entire guest area. On the other side, every dangerous action passes through the feet of politan, which first rewards the overlap of By Lorenzo (with the ball on the bottom though) and then tries to head it in McTominay, anticipated by Guilbert before Falcone complete the exit disengagement. At 20' Kristovic he's really stealing McTominay and it starts again: after the exchange with Pierotti, number 9 shoots from the edge, with the ball flying just over the crossbar. Napoli replies with a low cross from McTominay which almost reaches Lukaku, ready for the tap-in. At 22' Breakers he finishes very badly, only to redeem himself in the 24th minute, sending a free kick he earned himself into the corner for a foul on the edge of the area Kaba: the position of was also decisive on this occasion McTominay which ends up deceiving Falcone. At 32' Guilbert cross in the middle: Rrahmani e Meret defuse the threat. Speaking of threats, in the 37th minute from the developments of a corner Gaspar hits the crossbar: the rebound protests Street of the Sea for a touch on the edge of Spinazzola. The Lecce insists with Kristovic, which from the outside opens the razor too much, which goes out at the bottom. After a moment of suffering, the Napoli returns to attack in the 44th minute with the trace of McTominay for Breakers who, disturbed at the time of shooting by Gaspar, with the left hand he does not find the target. This opens the 8' recovery time granted by the referee Sponge to the fifth of which Karlsson exchange with Cock, whose cross almost reaches Pierotti before the first fraction ends, which is nothing short of infinite.

Second half

Giampaolo leave in the changing rooms Kaba e Karlsson, detected by Helgason e Dying. At 50' the Napoli doubles from the developments of a corner taken by Breakers Olive, but on the occasion McTominay pushes from behind Falcone, bringing Sponge to cancel everything. The Lecce reply with a shot from outside right by Helgason which, diverted from Lobotka, rears up and almost fools an attentive Meret: on this occasion the number 68, already hit hard in the first half, raises the white flag in favour of gilmour. At 57', after a lucky carom, Breakers finds himself with a gift at his feet in the heart of the area, but another Giallorossi deflection only yields a corner. At 61' Helgason serves Coulibaly, who kicks badly from the edge but luckily finds an Azzurri touch that gives him a corner which however will not lead to any developments. Giampaolo changes again: the third move is Veiga for Guilbert. At 65' Lukaku he has the ball at his feet for the knockout thanks to a back heel assist from By Lorenzo, but Falcone he tells him no and Gaspar in tackle blocks the goal before the offside signal arrives. Meanwhile shore Lecce also takes over Berisha for pierret. The Lecce he tries everything to give himself the equaliser: even a free kick surprisingly taken by Helgason to try to make fun of Meret, but the maximum turnover is only outside the network. It then turns on Dying, who first hits an opponent with a shot and then sends in a cross that is easily thwarted by gilmour. Tale inserts Billing for Breakers: the aim is to cover themselves in a phase in which the Giallorossi move the ball around a lot, while the last move of Giampaolo è N'Dri for Pierotti. At 87' politan concludes at the bottom an action of relief of his, who try to come out of their shell to give themselves a finale without too many worries. Meanwhile Tale inserts Simeon e ngonge for Lukaku e politan. The Lecce try the final assault, opened by a slightly high swing of Coulibaly before the inauguration 6' of recovery. In reality, a low cross of Spinazzola puts you in difficulty Falcone, whose rejection almost risks arming the tap-in of the onrushing player Simeon: it is the last emotion of a match that rewards the Napoli, increasingly firmly in command of the standings.