Napoli 1-0 Venezia: Late Raspadori winner sees Partenopei edge past visitors after Lukaku misses first-half penalty
SSC Napoli maintained their impressive unbeaten home record against Venezia, extending it to 10 matches, thanks to a late goal from Giacomo Raspadori that secured a crucial three points for the Serie A title contenders.
Despite the Winged Lions fighting against relegation and entering the match with an unbeaten streak of three games, Napoli were widely regarded as the favorites to win.
The Partenopei dominated the first half, with Amir Rrahmani's close-range attempt being saved by Filip Stanković just four minutes into the match. Both Khvicha Kvaratshkelia and John Yeboah also faced resistance from the Serbian goalkeeper.
After applying constant pressure on the visitors, Napoli earned a penalty nine minutes before halftime when Mathías Olivera's shot was handled by Jay Idzes. However, Romelu Lukaku's penalty was saved low to his left by Stanković.
Antonio Conte's team had another excellent opportunity to take the lead three minutes later when a cross found André-Frank Zambo Anguissa unmarked, but the midfielder, who had scored in his previous two matches, sent his first-time shot over the crossbar.
As the first half concluded with a score of 0-0, Venezia achieved one of their primary objectives. However, given Napoli's unbeaten streak of 13 Serie A matches against newly-promoted teams, the visitors would require an extraordinary effort to secure a remarkable victory.
Eusebio Di Francesco's squad continued to thwart Napoli's advances in the early part of the second half and nearly took the lead when Hans Nicolussi Caviglia's inswinging free-kick from the byline forced Meret to intervene, pushing the ball over the bar.
Lukaku remained the focal point for the home side and came agonizingly close to scoring just after the hour mark, breaking into the area and firing a shot that beat Stanković but struck the right post.
As Napoli endured relentless assaults, their persistence was rewarded with just 11 minutes left on the clock. Raspadori seized a loose ball within the penalty area and struck it into the bottom right corner of the net, shattering Venezia's hopes and igniting jubilation among the home supporters.
This crucial goal proved to be a turning point, allowing Conte’s squad to secure a victory that temporarily elevates them above Inter Milan into second place. Conversely, Venezia finds themselves in a precarious position, remaining in 19th place as they approach the New Year.
SportsLigue