An early goal from Gonzalo Higuain and a late second from on-fire Jose Callejon gave Napoli a vital three points, putting them back in the scudetto race. Their best performance of the season saw Gli Azzurri creating chance after chance against one of the best defenses in the league. Most of Roma's problems came, predictably, in the midfield, with Daniele De Rossi out due to injury, but poor finishing from their forwards did little to help.
Napoli vs. Roma: Final Score 2-0, Napoli dominate against a poor Roma side
The visitors will be happy they only conceded two goals to a revitalized Napoli side.
It didn't take long for Napoli to make it clear they wanted a win. A little more than two minutes into the game, Insigne's through ball over the defense found Higuain in the heart of the penalty box, and his acrobatic bicycle kick was impossible for Morgan De Sanctis to save.
Napoli continued dominating after the goal, pouring forward to rattle the Roma defense. The visitors had only Lady Luck to thank for having conceded just the one goal in the first half, as both Higuain and Insigne were tearing the defense apart. When Roma finally managed to get out of their own half, they could do little with the ball -- Napoli was still by far the more dangerous team, threatening on the counter. The home side hit the woodwork twice, and missed a couple more great opportunities to put the game beyond the doubt in the first half.
Roma started the second half much more positively. Napoli was sitting much deeper in the second half -- perhaps it was part of Benitez’s tactics, perhaps they were just a bit tired, but Roma were able to press high up the pitch much more consistently.
That came with a price, however, as the Partenopei could use the quickness of Insigne, Callejon and Higuain to create opportunities for the second goal. It nearly came in the 62nd minute, when Callejon chipped the ball over De Sanctis, but Radja Nainggolan cleared the ball off the line.
By the 84th minute, Roma had four forwards on the pitch. Rudi Garcia had introduced Mattia Destro and Juan Iturbe in hopes of scoring an equalizer, and finally threw on Adem Ljajic for rightback Vasilis Torosidis. The move backfired, however. Two minutes later, Napoli substitute Walter Gargano dispossessed Nainggolan in the middle of the field and sent the ball through to Higuain. The Argentine, who has finally hit his form over the past few matches, sent the ball through for Callejon, who neatly tucked it away -- propelling him to the top of the Serie A scoring charts in the process.
Napoli (4-2-3-1): Rafael; Maggio, Albiol, Koulibaly, Ghoulam, Lopez (Inler 80’), Jorginho; Callejon, Hamsik (Gargano 66’), Insigne (Mertens 73’); Higuain
Goals: Higuain 3’, Callejon 86’
Roma (4-3-3): De Sanctis; Torosidis (Ljajić), Manolas, Yanga-Mbiwa, Holebas; Pjanic, De Rossi, Nainggolan; Gervinho, Totti (65’), Florenzi (Iturbe 67’).
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