Verona stops Napoli, Conte does not complete the comeback

Hellas Verona slows down Napoli’s championship chase. The Italian champions do not go beyond 2-2 against the yellow-blues in the Maradona match, valid for the 19th matchday of Serie A: goals from Frese and Orban for the double lead at La Scala are answered by McTominay and Di Lorenzo, who prevent the Neapolitans from losing at home.

The hosts immediately put the pedal to the metal and in the 8th minute they came close to taking the lead with a shot at the near post by Elmas, which was blocked by Montipò. After a complicated start to the match, the Venetians reacted well and in the 16th minute found the opening goal with a magic by Martin Frese: Niasse arrives at the back and crosses for the Dane who, with first intention, turns the ball into the goal with a wonderful backheel.

Four minutes later Orban attempted a shot from the edge of the area, but missed the target. Napoli felt the pinch and in the 28th minute they also had to face a penalty awarded, after VAR review, by Marchetti for a handball by Buongiorno: on Gift Orban shows up on the spot, passing Milinkovic-Savic and scores the double with his fifth goal of the season. Antonio Conte’s boys begin to grind out the game, so much so that in the 34th minute they come close to reopening the dispute with Hojlund, whose header ends up a few centimeters over the crossbar. In the 42nd minute the Azzurri carved out another great opportunity with McTominay, who received the ball in the area and shot with a sure shot, but hit Nunez squarely. At the end of the 4′ of injury time, we go to rest with Verona leading 2-0.

At the start of the second half Milinkovic-Savic makes an empty exit, but the defense manages to make up for the goalkeeper’s mistake by averting the threat. In the 54th minute Montipò also came up empty following a corner kicked by Lang and Scott McTominay took advantage of the opportunity to tap into the net, thus reopening the match. Galvanized by the goal, Napoli tried to ride the positive momentum, coming close to equalizing in the 60th minute with Di Lorenzo, who missed a tricky ball due to a matter of centimeters.

The Neapolitans create a forcing asfissiantand which in the 72nd minute led to Hojlund’s goal which, however, after a VAR review, was canceled due to a touch from the center forward’s hand. The appointment with the equalizer was only postponed, as the Azzurri were in the 82nd minute they grab the 2-2 with Giovanni Di Lorenzo, who makes the winning deflection on Marianucci’s cross.

In injury time the hosts lost their balance and risked a sensational counterattack by Giovane who, face to face with Milinkovic-Savic, wasted the match point. At Maradona, therefore, it ends 2-2: the Scaligeri smile for a precious point with a view to salvation, the Azzurri make a misstep in the championship fight. Following this result, in fact, the Napoli rises to 38 points in the standings, between the‘Hellas Verona reaches 13. The Campania team will return to the field on Sunday evening at the Meazza for the big match against Inter; the Venetians, however, will host Lazio at the Bentegodi.

NAPLES (3-4-3): Milinkovic-Savic 6; Di Lorenzo 6.5, Rrahmani 6, Buongiorno 5; Politano 6, Lobotka 6, McTominay 6.5, Gutierrez 5 (10’st Spinazzola 6); Elmas 5 (18’st Marianucci 6.5), Hojlund 5.5, Lang 5.5 (31’st Lucca 5.5). On the bench: Meret, Contini, Juan Jesus, Olivera, Prisco, De Chiara. Coach: Conte 6.
VERNA (3-5-2): Montippo’ 5; Nuns 6 (33’st Nelsson 6), Bellahap 5.5, Valentini 6; Bradaric 6.5, System 6.5 (42’st Sweder sv), Gagliardini 6, Bernede 6.5, Free 7; Sad 5.5 (19’st Giovane 5.5), Orban 6.5 (42’st Mosque sv). In panchina: Perilli, Toniolo, Oyoke, Yellu, Slotsager, Castans, Harro, Ebossia, Cam, the Music. Resident: Zetetti 6
REFEREE: Marchetti from Ostia Lido 5.5. GOALS: 16’pt Frese, 28’pt Orban (rig); 9’st McTominay, 37’st Di Lorenzo. NOTES: Rainy evening, pitch weighed down by rain. Booked: Orban, Bradaric, Bella-Kotchap. Corners: 6-1 for Napoli. Recovery time: 4′; 7′.