Six days after the night in Riyadh, Napoli wastes no time in immediately putting the championship back at the center of their agenda. At the Zini stadium, the Azzurri won 2-0, defeating Cremonese with authority and earning a long-overdue away win. The undisputed star was once again Rasmus Hojlund, who scored a brace and dominated the entire match.
The game immediately got off to a good start for Conte's team. It took just thirteen minutes to break the deadlock: Spinazzola fired after a short clearance from the defense, a deflection took Audero out of play, and Hojlund was the quickest to pounce on the ball for the 1-0 lead into an empty net. Napoli controlled the pace and nearly doubled their lead in the 24th minute, when a counterattack orchestrated by Politano sent Hojlund in front of the keeper again, who this time did well to close the goal.
The Dane didn't stop, and by the end of the first half, he still made it 2-0. Politano crossed from the right, Zerbin and Baschirotto missed the opportunity, and the rebound was met by Hojlund, who struck and virtually sealed the match. Cremonese tried to react and protested for contact in the box between Zerbin and Rrahmani, which referee Mariani deemed too light. The only real scare for the Azzurri came shortly afterward, with Payero blocking a shot.
In the second half, the pace slowed, and Napoli controlled the game with maturity, without sacrificing their ability to pounce. Hojlund came close to a hat-trick on two occasions, while McTominay forced Audero to a late, powerful right-footed shot from the edge of the box. Nicola attempted to change the momentum by bringing on fresh players, but the visitors sealed the result with order and determination.
The win allows Napoli to climb to second place in Serie A, just one point behind leaders AC Milan, while they await Inter's result. Cremonese, a painless defeat in terms of the standings, remains comfortable in the middle of the table. For the Azzurri, however, it confirms that the enthusiasm of the Super Cup can also fuel their league campaign.
Source EDITORIAL TEAM
Comments (1)
Napoli played well, but there were some mistakes that could have cost them dearly. Hojlund did well, but the defense needs to be more careful to avoid giving the opponents wasted chances.