A tough match, difficult to win, as Spezia is one of those teams that has always caused problems. This time, Napoli didn't give up, and Spezia's "bunker" in front of their goal wasn't enough: Raspadori's goal, his first of the season, settled a game that had remained 0-0 until that point.
Luciano Spalletti had warned his team that Spezia were no Liverpool: compared to the English side, the Ligurians had barricaded themselves, aiming solely to avoid defeat. A draw would have been excellent for them. Instead, in the 43rd minute of the second half, Lozano played a low pass from the right that reached Raspadori on the other side, who, despite his fatigue, managed to quickly score. The first half ended with Napoli having some excellent chances to take the lead; but Kvaratskhelia and Elmas perhaps played a bit too individually and thus failed to score.
The turnover after Napoli - Liverpool
Napoli manager Luciano Spalletti made five changes compared to Wednesday's match against Liverpool: Juan Jesus, Mario Rui, Ndombele', Elmas and Raspadori all started.
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In the second half, Napoli's athletic performance was clearly declining, likely reflecting the fatigue of midweek. Spezia gained ground, though they never abandoned a purely defensive approach to the game. Napoli played a steady game but were less likely to threaten in the opponent's penalty area than they had in the first half. Spezia even came close to taking the lead in the 27th minute with a shot from Kiwior, following a misunderstanding between Mario Rui and Meret, with Rrahmani having to scramble to clear the ball from just short of the goal line.
Napoli, however, continued to press on, and Spalletti's men's tenacity paid off in the closing stages. The Azzurri were satisfied with maintaining their top-seeded pace. Spezia was left with the shame of seeing their dream of taking a point from Maradona dashed at the last minute, just when the result seemed within reach.
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