NAPOLI FINISHES AT 3RD PLACE WITH EASY WIN OVER GENOA, INSIGNE BIDS FAREWELL TO NAPLES WITH A SPOT KICK.
In his final home game as a Napoli player, Lorenzo Insigne played a starring role in a 3-0 victory that could result in Genoa’s relegation being confirmed by the end of the day’s play.
Although their title hopes had dissipated, Napoli were motivated to give Insigne a fitting send-off at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona. The relegation-threatened visitors, however, had no time for sentiment, and they were inches away from taking a surprise lead in the 13th minute when Kelvin Yeboah’s thunderous effort crashed off the woodwork.
Despite starting sluggishly, the hosts began to take control as the half wore on, and they made their dominance count just after the half hour mark. Giovanni Di Lorenzo’s perfectly weighted cross found the run of Victor Osimhen, who powered a header past Salvatore Sirigu to register his 14th league goal of the season. There was still time in the first period for Insigne to display his trademark trickery as he drifted past two defenders with spectacular ease to create an opening, but with the angle against him, the Toronto-bound man couldn’t squeeze his driven shot past Sirigu.
Just like the first half, Genoa started the second period on the front foot, and they were presented with a golden opportunity when Manolo Portanova found himself one-on-one with David Ospina, but the forward could not find a way past the Colombian goalkeeper. Just as it seemed that the visitors would claw their way back into the contest, Napoli were gifted the opportunity to score from the spot following a handball infringement by Hernani. Insigne found the post with the original penalty, and though Di Lorenzo scored from the subsequent rebound, Insigne was given the chance to retake the spot-kick due to encroachment. It proved to be second time lucky, with the 30-year-old blasting the ball into the top corner of Sirigu’s goal.
Stanislav Lobotka made sure of the three points, firing home in the 81st minute, and the defeat could condemn Genoa to Serie B if Cagliari win or lose against Inter Milan on Sunday evening.
