The Azzurri claim glory at the Brianteo
Napoli secured a win in Monza in a match full of goals and excitement. After only ten minutes Rasmus Hojlund opened the scoring, slotting home with his left foot after being set up by Giovanni Di Lorenzo. However, the hosts equalised toward the end of the first half with a header from Gustavo Varela.
Early after the break, the Azzurri reclaimed their lead through a brilliant curling shot by Matteo Politano, making it 2-1. Napoli then took complete control of the game. In the 62nd minute, Rafa Marin scored his first goal for the club with a header from a corner kick. Shortly after that Kevin De Bruyne struck, finishing with a precise right-footed shot following an assist from Noa Lang.
Napoli assistant coach Marco Landucci - who was on the bench today in place of Max Allegri - offered his opinions on the encounter:
“It was a difficult match because Monza are a team that create a lot of chances. The goal early in the second half really spurred us on to get the win. It’s a shame we conceded, but the team performed well overall and deserved the victory.
“We must remember that we delivered two remarkable performances recently, against Bodo in the Champions League and against Roma. Some of our key players are currently getting back to their best form, having been unavailable for several weeks.
“In modern football you’ve got a match every three days, so you’ve got to be as fit as a fiddle. Unfortunately, we’ll be without [Stanislav] Lobotka for a while - the intensity teams have to sustain these days can lead to injuries.
“This win gives us a huge boost of morale, both for the upcoming match in Turin and for the rest of the season. We want to keep moving in this direction in order to get the results this team deserves. With this spirit and this mentality, we can truly show what we’re made of.”
Captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo provided the precise assist for Hojlund’s opening goal:
“We’re satisfied with both the performance and the result. It was very important for us to get back to winning ways - the three points are crucial for us to get our positive momentum back.
“We certainly need to improve, become tighter and focus more on maintaining possession. We grew into the game in the second half and managed the match well - this should give us even more confidence and conviction.”
Matteo Politano was a key figure once again, scoring a wonderful and vital goal that put his side in the lead:
“I’m happy with my goal, but above all, it’s a huge win. I’m playing a bit further forward, which helps me when it comes to scoring.
“I’m looking to take players on in one-on-one situations more often, but with the quality we have in this squad, we’re able to create a great deal of chances. We need to keep this up to show what we’re truly capable of.”
Vanja Milinkovic-Savic reflected on his side’s victory:
“You’re obviously happier after a win, but we’re working match by match to improve and climb the table, with the aim of reaching our full potential.
“Today’s win was vital for getting us back on track, but now another tough match awaits us in Turin. We need to build on this and keep the positive results coming.”
Monza 1-4 Napoli (HT 1-1)
Scorers: Hojlund 10, Varela 42, Politano 48, Marin 62, De Bruyne 67
MONZA: Tornqvist; Birindelli, Lucchesi (Antov 73), Goglichidze (Carboni 46), Bakoune, Colombo, Foe Ondoa (Akinsamiro 59), Mangas; Ngonge (Colpani 59), Robinson (Zeballos 48), Varela.
Coach: Juric
NAPOLI: Milinkovic-Savic; Di Lorenzo, Rrahmani (Mariancci 46), Rafa Marin, Olivera; Anguissa (De Bruyne 63), Lobotka (Gilmour 17), McTominay; Politano (Vergara 63), Lang, Hojlund (Lucca 81).
Coach: Allegri (Landucci in his place today)
Referee: Ayroldi
Booked: Goglichidze, Colombo, Foe Ondoa
