Serie A | Napoli 3-0 Frosinone: De Bruyne inspires new approach

· FootballItalia

Napoli impressed with a new 3-4-3 tactic to beat Frosinone 3-0 with a chaotic Kevin...

The Partenopei moved to a 3-4-3 system with Benoit Badiashile’s first start, as Antonio Vergara joined Costantino Favasuli, Alisson Santos, Frank Anguissa, Mathias Olivera and Alessandro Buongiorno on the treatment table. Alex Meret, David Neres and Lorenzo Spinazzola all recovered, with Scott McTominay available for the first time a month after surgery for a cardiac arrhythmia .

Frosinone were three points ahead of Napoli going into this match, having beaten Como 2-0 before the break for international duty. Florian Grillitsch and Daniel Birligea missed out, but Antonio Raimondo shook off a knock to lead the attack.

It was a frantic start from the hosts, as in the third minute Rasmus Hojlund thumped the upright from the Giovanni Di Lorenzo cross as he managed to get in front of his marker.

Di Lorenzo was decisive at the other end to stop Giorgi Kvernadze meeting the Romano Schmid cross from the right, then the Georgia international tested Meret from the tightest of angles.

There was controversy when Hojlund burst into the box and went down under pressure from Giorgio Cittadini for a soft penalty, which VAR opted not to suggest a review for.

Hojlund stepped up much to the chagrin of Allegri on the touchline and it was parried by Lorenzo Palmisani, but VAR showed the goalkeeper’s feet were off the line, so it had to be retaken. The coach intervened and ordered De Bruyne go instead, converting successfully.

Moments later, Di Lorenzo turned a defender on the Hojlund lay-off to be blocked off by Palmisani, but the ball kept going and Lang was ready to turn into an empty net from close range for 2-0.

Lang also stung Palmisani’s gloves with a ferocious strike at the near post, while Neres drilled inches wide after starting a run from inside his own half.

After the restart, Neres completed a rapid give and go with Lang to graze the upright, but more importantly McTominay made his comeback to a standing ovation.

A couple of dangerous Kvernadze cross-shots flashed past Meret with no Frosinone teammates ready to take advantage, then tested the goalkeeper himself from the edge of the area.

McTominay almost scored, testing Palmisani at the near post, but fellow substitute Lorenzo Lucca was jeered for a couple of mistakes.

In stoppages, Alessio Zerbin rolled across and Tomas Bobcek couldn’t get on the end of it for a tap-in from six yards.

With the last kick of the game, Giovane got down the left and pulled back from the byline, where De Bruyne gently guided it first-time in at the near bottom corner with the inside of the boot.

Napoli 3-0 Frosinone

De Bruyne pen 29, 94 (N), Lang 32 (N)

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