Naples – El Cholito was the match-winner on a rocking night at the Stadio Maradona on Sunday.
Victor Osimhen fired Napoli into a first-half lead with an incredible piece of play to control a lofted cross, line the ball up and thump it into the roof of the net past a helpless Rui Patricio on 17 minutes. Roma substitute Stephan El Shaarawy snuck it at the back post to equalise for the visitors on 75 minutes, but it would prove to be in vain as Giovanni Simeone found some space in the box thanks to some brilliant movement to get away from Chris Smalling and steered an unstoppable drive into the top corner in the 86th minute to send the home crowd into raptures and give Napoli a 13-point lead at the top of Serie A.
Next up for the Azzurri is a league clash away to Spezia on Sunday 5 February.
Napoli 2-1 Roma (HT: 1-0)
Scorers: Osimhen 17, El Shaarawy 75, Simone 86.
NAPOLI: Meret, Di Lorenzo, Rrahmani, Kim, Mario Rui (Olivera 68), Anguissa, Lobotka, Zielinski (Ndombele 90+1), Lozano (Raspadori 75), Kvaratskhelia (Elmas 69), Osimhen (Simeone 75).
Coach: Spalletti.
ROMA: Rui Patricio; Mancini, Smalling, Ibañez, Zalewski, Cristante (Volpato 88), Matic (Tahirovic 73), Spinazzola (El Shaarawy 46), Pellegrini (Bove 83), Dybala, Abraham (Belotti 73).
Coach: Mourinho.
Referee: Orsato.
Booked: Dybala, Osimhen, El Shaarawy.
