Kvaratskhelia stars again in Napoli win, Empoli hold Fiorentina to a draw
Empoli - Fiorentina 0-0
As far as drab opening half-hours go, this one was up there, with neither side threatening the opposition’s goal in any way, shape, or form. After a narrow opening day victory over Cremonese, Fiorentina were in search of successive wins to open their SA campaign for the first time since 2013/14, but that motivation alone didn’t seem to be enough to spur La Viola into life. A wayward Giacomo Bonaventura strike was about as close as Fiorentina came to a first-half goal, while Mattia Destro wasted a headed opportunity for Empoli, but the highlight of the half was undoubtedly referee Matteo Marchetti bringing it to a close.
The second half started in similar fashion, with an injury to the referee disrupting the flow of the game a little, as both sides again struggled to gain a foothold. Replacement referee Juan Luca Sacchi was given little time to find his stride in the game and was instead thrust straight into the limelight, making the huge call to dismiss Sebastiano Luperto after felling Luka Jović, who was racing clear on goal. Empoli survived a VAR scare when Riccardo Sottil hit the deck in the box, but a rather lengthy review ended with the onfield decision of ‘no penalty’ upholding.
It would perhaps be unfair to state one side came closer to winning than the other, because in truth, neither side created any real clear-cut chances. It’s uncharacteristic of an Empoli SA home game to end 0-0 as 12 of the 13 prior had seen both teams find the net, but there was absolutely nothing by way of goalmouth action in the closing stages to indicate that one team would score here.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Giacomo Bonaventura (Fiorentina)
Napoli - Monza 4-0
Luciano Spalletti’s men are much-changed from last season, with club stalwarts Kalidou Koulibaly, Lorenzo Insigne and Dries Mertens all leaving the club in the summer. I Partenopei began last season with eight consecutive victories, and a fast start may be crucial in what appears to be a hotly-contested battle for the Scudetto.
One of the new faces, Kim Min-Jae, should have opened his account in the early stages, rising highest from a corner to head towards goal, but the South Korean couldn’t keep his header down. The hosts were forced to remain patient in their search for an opener, with Monza’s low block proving tough to crack. Unable to break through, Kvicha Kvaratskhelia took matters into his own hands in spectacular fashion, cutting in from the left before firing into the corner from the edge of the area to break the deadlock.
Victor Osimhen doubled the lead in first-half stoppage time, just a few minutes after it looked like he would need to be substituted following a huge collision with Marlon. Played in on the right by André-Frank Zambo Anguissa, Osimhen showed composure beyond his years to slot home and send the hosts into the HT break with a two-goal advantage.
Monza were desperately struggling to keep the ball for any period of time, and Napoli’s second before the break appeared to put the game well beyond them. The hosts looked in cruise control after the restart, before Kvaratskhelia netted his second of the game, brilliantly beating a man before slotting into the far corner.
Monza were desperately struggling to keep the ball for any period of time, and Napoli’s second before the break appeared to put the game well beyond them. The hosts looked in cruise control after the restart, before Kvaratskhelia netted his second of the game, brilliantly beating a man before slotting into the far corner.
Monza’s day went from bad to worse, as Kim headed in the fourth in second-half stoppage time. It’s the worst possible start for Giovanni Stroppa’s men, losing both their opening games and remaining rooted to the foot of the table. In contrast, Napoli sit at the Serie A summit, as they look for a first title since 1990.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Kvicha Kvaratskhelia (Napoli)