Napoli took another significant stride towards securing their second Serie A title in three seasons with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Lecce at the Stadio Via del Mare on Saturday. This win also marked their fourth consecutive league victory without conceding a goal, highlighting their formidable form.
Antonio Conte’s side has been in imperious form in recent weeks, and they carried that momentum into this crucial clash, which had significant implications at both the top and bottom ends of the Serie A table.
Napoli thought they had opened the scoring within the first two minutes when Romelu Lukaku cleverly flicked Matteo Politano’s tame shot into the net. However, Lecce were relieved to see the goal disallowed for offside.
Their reprieve was short-lived, as Napoli broke the deadlock in the 24th minute through a magnificent strike from Giacomo Raspadori. The Napoli forward powerfully converted a free-kick that he had won himself on the edge of the penalty area. This goal, Raspadori’s first start since before the March international break, could prove to be another priceless contribution in Napoli’s title pursuit.
Lecce, desperately fighting for their Serie A survival, sought an immediate response. They were inches away from equalizing when Kialonga Gaspar’s strong header from close range struck the crossbar.
After weathering a period of pressure, Napoli regrouped and should have extended their lead before halftime. However, Raspadori could only drag his shot wide after being played through by Scott McTominay.
A double substitution at the start of the second half sparked an improvement in Lecce’s performance, with Porir Johann Helgason proving particularly influential. The Icelandic international first saw his shot from the edge of the box deflect off Stanislav Lobotka and forced a save from Alex Meret. He then audaciously attempted to catch Meret out with a free-kick from the left, but his effort only found the side-netting.
Following that scare, Napoli demonstrated their game management prowess, effectively keeping Lecce at bay to secure a vital victory. This result temporarily extends their lead over defending champions Inter Milan to six points.
For Lecce, this defeat extends their winless run to 12 matches and marks their fourth consecutive game without scoring against Napoli. This leaves them precariously close to the relegation zone, just one point clear of the bottom three.
