Festive magic: Conte triumphs with new signings, Fiorentina left stunned | OneFootball

A mere formality. At certain moments, even an embarrassing gap. In the end, the semblance of an open game, but in fact, it never really reopens. Fiorentina scores the 1-3 goal in the 79th minute with Ranieri, taking advantage of Napoli's mental lapse as they switch off a few minutes early (a factor that greatly angered Conte). So be it. The truth is simple: there was never a contest between the two teams. Napoli remains unbeaten (9 points, only 1 goal conceded in three matches), leading alongside Juventus. Now, focus shifts to the Champions League, with the big match against Manchester City just around the corner.

The magic of the festivities. Conte wins with the newcomers, Fiorentina overwhelmed

Antonio Conte's Napoli soars. At the “Franchi,” the Azzurri defeat Fiorentina 1-3, dominating for seventy-five minutes thanks to goals from Kevin De Bruyne (from a penalty), Rasmus Højlund, and Sam Beukema, the latter two making their Serie A debut with the Neapolitan jersey. Only in the end does Stefano Pioli's team shorten the distance with captain Luca Ranieri, but it's too late to reopen the game.

The Azzurri, dressed in white in Florence, secure their third consecutive league victory, remaining unbeaten with 9 points after three rounds. The opposite situation for the Viola, stuck at 2 points and already struggling.

Napoli starts strong and in the 3rd minute almost takes the lead with Anguissa and Højlund, stopped by De Gea and Gosens. A few seconds later, Comuzzo brings down Anguissa in the area: referee Zufferli points to the spot. De Bruyne makes no mistake and in the 6th minute scores the 0-1, outsmarting the former Manchester United player.

Eight minutes later, the second goal arrives: Spinazzola invents a perfect through ball, Højlund times his run perfectly and finishes in the bottom corner, beating De Gea. For the Dane, it's a return to scoring in Serie A after more than two years.

Fiorentina tries to react with Mandragora and Kean, but Milinkovic-Savic (Meret out before the game) remains a spectator for most of the first half. De Bruyne continues to dictate the tempo with superior quality, quickly finding an understanding with Højlund.

At the start of the second half, Napoli seals the deal: in the 51st minute, following a corner, Anguissa puts it back in the center and Beukema scores from close range. First goal in blue for the former Bologna player, another debut marked by a goal.

Only in the end does the Viola raise the pace. Piccoli and Fazzini force Milinkovic-Savic into two decisive saves, but in the 79th minute, Ranieri finds the 1-3 goal with a precise left-foot shot after a scramble in the area. However, the goal only serves to save face. Three to one and everyone goes home: the Azzurri to rest ahead of Manchester (on the 18th against City, the eve of San Gennaro); Pioli's Fiorentina to lick their wounds. The magic of the festivities.

Fiorentina-Napoli 1-3 Goals: 6’ De Bruyne (pen.), 14’ Højlund, 51’ Beukema, 79’ Ranieri

Fiorentina (3-5-2): De Gea 7; Comuzzo 5.5 (87’ Lamptey NG), Pongracic 5, Ranieri 6; Dodò 5.5, Sohm 5.5 (65’ Fazzini 6.5), Mandragora 5.5, Fagioli 5 (65’ Nicolussi Caviglia 6), Gosens 6.5; Dzeko 4.5 (46’ Piccoli 6), Kean 6. Coach: Pioli 5.5.

Napoli (4-1-4-1): Milinkovic-Savic 6.5; Di Lorenzo 6.5, Beukema 7, Buongiorno 6.5, Spinazzola 6.5 (69’ Olivera 6); Lobotka 6.5 (90’+4 Gilmour NG); Politano 6.5 (69’ David Neres 6), Anguissa 7.5, De Bruyne 7 (69’ Elmas 6), McTominay 6.5; Højlund 7 (73’ Lucca 5.5). Coach: Conte 7.5.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇮🇹 here.