📸 Vergara shines as Napoli beat Fiorentina, but concern for Di Lorenzo 🚑 | OneFootball

Napoli returns to winning ways in Serie A, overcoming a good Fiorentina side that leaves the Maradona with heads held high after a courageous performance.

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After three games without a win between the Champions League and the league, Conte’s team finds three crucial points in the chase for Inter. Vergara unlocks the match, starring in a move full of personality: a perfect run behind the Viola defense and 1-0, his first league goal after his European wonder strike. Fiorentina’s reaction is immediate, with Piccoli hitting the post and, above all, an extraordinary save by Meret on a close-range header, crucial in keeping Napoli ahead.

In the second half, Napoli extends their lead with a gem from Gutierrez, who receives the ball again from Vergara, dribbles past Gosens, and curls a left-footed shot unstoppable for De Gea. The Viola, however, stay in the game thanks to Solomon’s quick tap-in, reacting to Meret’s save after Piccoli’s shot. The pressure increases, Fiorentina wastes chances with Kean and Piccoli, and after 90 minutes comes a sigh of relief for Napoli: three points are back in the bag.

Staining Napoli’s afternoon, however, is the serious injury to Di Lorenzo, forced to leave on a stretcher amid applause and great concern from the entire stadium after a nasty knee twist.

❌ Fiorentina tries, but can’t find the equalizer: remains at 18

Fiorentina goes all out and comes close to scoring first with Kean and then with Piccoli, but the final result is 2-1 for Napoli. Fiorentina’s position in the standings remains precarious, third from last, one point behind Lecce, who play Torino tomorrow in Turin.

👃 Blow to Vergara, Conte loses it with the referee

78' - Napoli protests for La Penna’s missed whistle: Parisi unintentionally hits Vergara with an elbow, the Napoli midfielder stays on the ground bleeding from his nose, but the referee lets play continue amid vehement protests from the Maradona crowd.

⏩ Napoli with only four RIGHT-FOOTERS on the pitch

At the 75th minute, the Azzurri find themselves on the pitch with only four outfield right-footed players: Lobotka, McTominay, Elmas, and Spinazzola.

⚽ Solomon, his FIRST joy with the Viola too

57' - Fiorentina pulls one back and reopens the match.

Dodò accelerates and splits Napoli in two, playing Piccoli through, who burns Buongiorno and shoots diagonally from a tight angle. Meret saves, but on the rebound Solomon is the quickest to slot in the tap-in that makes it 2-1.

⚽ Gutierrez, the FIRST goal is beautiful!

49' - A great goal from the Spanish wingback, doubling Napoli’s lead with an applause-worthy play.

He receives on the right from Vergara, goes one-on-one with Gosens, beats him with a sharp move and cuts inside: a curling left-footed shot to the far post, unstoppable for De Gea. After the goal, Gutierrez immediately runs to hug Conte.

🚑 Terrible injury for Di Lorenzo

26' - Moments of great apprehension at the 28th minute. Di Lorenzo stays on the ground after an aerial challenge, with an unnatural twist of his left knee while trying to challenge Fabbian.

The Napoli captain is visibly in pain and in tears: a stretcher is needed and he is about to be transported out of the Maradona by ambulance for medical checks, as highlighted by DAZN. Olivera comes on in his place.

😱 Hojlund, Piccoli hits the post and a MIRACLE from Meret!

Within a few minutes, two huge chances to score, for both Napoli and Fiorentina.

In the 23rd minute, Gutierrez sends in a driven cross for Hojlund, whose shot is blocked and, in the ensuing scramble in the six-yard box, the ball doesn’t cross De Gea’s line. Fiorentina immediately responds from a set piece: in the 25th minute, Piccoli heads the ball, the shot bounces and picks up speed, Meret is beaten but the post saves Napoli. Two minutes later, more chills for Napoli, with another Viola header and an extraordinary response from Meret, who palms the ball over the bar from close range. Sofascore measures the save: 0.79 xGOT, a real miracle.

⚽ Vergara again: goal and celebration under the B!

11' - What a moment for Antonio Vergara, the boy from Frattaminore catapulted into the starting eleven due to Napoli’s injury crisis, who after his Champions League wonder goal, now repeats in the league.

A play full of personality: Hojlund holds up the ball with his back to goal and is fouled by Pongracic, but the Napoli midfielder’s run is perfect. With the ball at his feet, he uses his teammate’s block, burns the Viola defense, and finds himself in front of De Gea, beating him with a precise low shot to make it 1-0 for Napoli and his first Serie A goal.

Celebration just like against Chelsea: arms wide under the Curva B, soaking up all the fans’ applause.

🔵 Conte: "We need patience with Lukaku"

Antonio Conte also spoke before kickoff to DAZN’s microphones: "Together with the lads, we reviewed the Chelsea match, which was positive even though we weren’t rewarded. There’s disappointment about the Champions League elimination, but we’re on the right track in Europe. We haven’t been lucky with absences, but we need to learn to do better. Lukaku? He’s played 19 minutes in two matches, he’s speeding up and we need to be patient to get him back to match rhythm. We know how important he is for us, I hope he can keep improving"

🟣 Vanoli: "Kean is recovered"

The Fiorentina coach speaking pre-match to DAZN: "I thank the ownership for being present despite the recent passing of Rocco Commisso. My responsibility and ours becomes even greater to achieve our goal in a difficult season. Kean has been managed well, he’s recovered and from now on we hope to have him without problems. But let’s not forget Piccoli replaced him well. The midfield is now more structured, we need the right balance, which was especially lacking against the smaller teams"

✅ The official lineups

NAPOLI (3-4-2-1): Meret; Di Lorenzo, Juan Jesus, Buongiorno; Gutierrez, Lobotka, McTominay, Spinazzola; Vergara, Elmas; Hojlund.

FIORENTINA (4-3-2-1): De Gea; Dodò, Pongracic, Comuzzo, Gosens; Fabbian, Fagioli, Brescianini; Solomon, Gudmundsson; Piccoli.

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

📸 CARLO HERMANN - AFP or licensors