Napoli-Empoli 3-0: McTominay and Lukaku reply to Inter

Naples, 14 April 2025 – The victory of theInter on Cagliari call us Napoli in yet another race to stay in the slipstream: there's a Empoli increasingly bruised but also desperate in terms of salvation. The Azzurri are putting the matter downhill with McTominay in the course of a first half well played but allowing a few openings to the Tuscans, closed as usual Meret. The moments of slight suffering and the still open result scare the Maradona in view of the second half, in recent weeks one of the weak points of the band Tale, who returns to the bench after serving the disqualification From the Ara, where in the next round the league leaders will visit in what could be another key turning point in the fight for the Scudetto. Instead, in the second half this time the Neapolitans shift into third gear with Lukaku and again McTominay, for a fiery assist that works wonders between the two and makes the fortunes of the entire team Napoli, while on the other side there is a Empoli who this time fails to pull off the prank Fuorigrotta, for a ranking situation that is becoming increasingly bleak: a lot is hanging on the residual chances of remaining in Serie A will go from the direct clash against the Venice expected in the next round, in which instead the Azzurri of Tale they will visit a Monza, to stay on topic, practically with one foot and a half already in the cadet division.

The official lineups

Tale choose a 4-3-3 open from Meret, with Mazzocchi, Rrahmani, Juan Jesus e Olive in defense: in the middle of the field there are gilmour, Lobotka e McTominay, while in attack it's up to politan, Lukaku e Neres. D'Aversa reply with a 3-4-2-1 that he sees between the posts Vasquez, protected by Goglichidze, Marianucci e Screws, with gyasi e pezzella as fifths and the pair Grassi-Henderson in the middle: the only striker is Esposito, assisted by Fazzini e Cacace.

First half

L'Empoli starts strong and in the 2th minute he becomes dangerous with gyasi, whose header is blocked by Juan Jesus practically two steps away from Meret. The guests insist with a similar action: it is the 6th minute and pezzella he puts in a cross that Fazzini directs not far from the first post. The Napoli reply in the 16th minute, when politan takes charge of kicking a free kick towards McTominay: Screws deflects the ball which becomes almost good for Lukaku, providentially anticipated by Marianucci. The second assault by the Azzurri is the good one: it's the 18th minute and Lukaku works on the side for McTominay, who advances with the ball at his feet through the centre and unleashes a right-footed shot that hits the target VasquezThe Tuscans did not let themselves be discouraged and came close to immediately equalising in the 21st minute, when pezzella cross towards gyasi, good at anticipating Olive but less so in heading accurately. At 25' precisely pezzella he is dribbled past by politan, who with a left-footed shot sends it flying Vasquez, which shortly after is repeated on the hit of Neres, who doesn't hit the ball well right on an assist from number 21. At 31' theEmpoli he tries again from a set piece, but Marianucci sends it to the bottom, as it does shortly after Fazzini after a personal blitz fueled by a bad ball lost by the home team. At 39' Olive advance and serve gilmour who at the edge of the area, controls but kicks over the crossbar. TheEmpoli reply with a great right-foot volley from Esposito who calls Meret to the difficult reply in the corner. The referee Locksmiths assign 1' of recovery that the guests try to exploit to straighten out a first half in which perhaps they would have deserved something more, but their plans don't work.

Second half

The teams return to the field with the same players: the stability of the Napoli after the recent second half decline. At 52' McTominay tries to close the game with a shot over the crossbar not worthy of the previous excellent control. Shortly after Lukaku challenge Marianucci and wins the duel, then putting in a nice low cross for Neres, who misses the appointment with the ball. In the 54th minute the Brazilian sets up the header off target by Olive. At 56' the latter, advancing through the central channels, becomes an assistman for Lukaku, which is two steps away from Vasquez he's not wrong. D'Aversa takes cover and inserts Columbo for Fazzini, but by now the oxen had escaped from the barn and so at 61' McTominay, in perfect solitude in the heart of the penalty area, scores the third goal with a header following a perfect suggestion from LukakuThe Scotsman could also score his hat-trick, again with an assist from Big Rome, but his first-time cross shot in the 68th minute hits the post. Everything goes smoothly for Tale except for the muscle trouble that gets out of the way Juan Jesus in a defense already orphaned by Good morning: the replacement is Marine, while D'Aversa the card is played Ebuehi for Screws. At 69' pezzella he puts a cross in the middle for the header Fat which parades on the bottom. At 73' instead politan search again Neres on the other side, but the assist doesn't seem to work perfectly tonight. Tale continues with the fields and also gives minutes to Spinazzola, which notes Mazzocchi. Shortly after Napoli almost a poker: Neres creates havoc in his area of ​​expertise and puts in the middle for Lukaku who, sliding, sends the ball just wide. From the guest bench they get up Zambia e Kovalenko and they sit down Cacace ed Henderson: Tale throw instead Breakers, ngonge e Billing for politan, Lukaku e gilmour. The ending, including the 3' of recovery assigned by Locksmiths, it's pure garbage time until the final whistle that delivers the Napoli a precious victory to continue believing in the dream of the championship.