Napoli – AS Roma: Insigne Stunner Helps Napoli Leapfrog AS Roma In Hunt For Fifth (2-1)

While hosting AS Roma, Napoli utilized different offensive tools to compensate for the defensive problems their attacking eagerness caused. In a lively matchup, a clinical Roma counterattack looked enough to salvage a draw. However, some Insigne brilliance helped secure a deserved Napoli win.

Tactical analysis and match report by Julian Chingoma.

The outstanding form of Atalanta Bergamo meant any hopes of Champions League football were gone for these two sides. Instead, they have now become direct rivals for the Europa League’s automatic qualification spot. Napoli were only three points behind a fading Roma side who had lost their last two matches, against Udinese and AC Milan. Napoli themselves were looking to bounce back from a momentum-killing loss to the aforementioned Atalanta.

Gennaro Gattuso used a 4-3-3 formation for his Napoli side. In goal was Alex Meret with Mario Rui, Kalidou Koulibaly, Kostas Manolas and Giovanni Di Lorenzo as their backline. Piotr Zieliński and Fabián Ruiz were ahead of Diego Demme in midfield. José Callejón and Lorenzo Insigne would operate out wide while Arkadiusz Milik led the line centrally. 

Paulo Fonseca’s side, although in a 4-2-3-1 shape on paper, played primarily out of a 5-3-2 formation. Gianluca Mancini dropped to play the right center-back role in the central defensive trio alongside Chris Smalling and Roger Ibañez. Davide Zappacosta and Leonardo Spinazzola were the wing-backs. In midfield, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Lorenzo Pellegrini joined Jordan Veretout who was in a deeper role. Justin Kluivert and Edin Džeko were the two attackers up top.

Napoli with the edge in dynamic
Napoli took control of possession early with Roma starting . . .