Two first-half goals, courtesy of Giuseppe Mascara and Marek Hamsik, were enough to give Napoli the 2-0 win over Bologna and move them into joint first-place with AC Milan. Of course, Napoli did their very best to take years off the lifespans of their supporters in the second half, allowing Bologna, and Marco Di Vaio in particular, to send shot after shot at the goal of Morgan De Sanctis. But the Holy Goalkeeper managed a couple of spectacular saves which, combined with Di Vaio's inability to get the ball inside the posts, allowed Napoli to take the clean sheet.
Bologna Vs. Napoli: 2-0 Win For The Partenopei Puts Them Joint Top With AC Milan
The visitors opened the scoring with a goal by Giuseppe Mascara, his first in a partenopei kit. The forward, filling in for the suspended Edinson Cavani, tapped the ball in after Emiliano Viviano spilled a sexy back heel from Ezequiel Lavezzi. With a 1-0 scoreline, Napoli looked utterly dominant. They continued to put pressure on the Bologna goal, with Bologna's only response to hack away at partenopei ankles, shins, and whatever else they could reach.
It wasn’t the overly physical play that led to Napoli’s penalty at the end of the first half, however, but rather another mistake by Viviano. Both Hamsik and Lavezzi slipped behind the high Bologna line, going two on one with the Bologna keeper. But rather than shoot at an empty net, Hamsik elected to pass off to el Pocho, for reasons not comprehensible even to his biggest supporter. Apparently Hamsik thought the ball would go straight through Viviano and on to Lavezzi, but instead the keeper charged straight into Lavezzi, sending him sprawling into the grass. It should have been a straight red on Viviano, but a yellow was given as the ref pointed to the spot. Hamsik stepped up, putting the ball straight down the middle and into the back of the net.
Napoli were fortunate to not have their two goal lead canceled out in the second. Di Vaio, who’s normally been spot on for Bologna this season, managed to scuff at least two shots just wide of the post. Di Vaio also missed a prime opportunity in the 56th minute when De Sanctis came charging off his line. The forward went straight around the keeper but was apparently thrown off by De Sanctis’s clownlike antics and sent the shot into the side netting.
So Napoli come away with the win, although it was much closer than the 2-0 scoreline suggests. They wait now on the last match of Week 32, with Milan traveling to Fiorentina, desperate to again put themselves on top of Serie A.
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