Player Ratings: Lecce 0-1 Napoli – Raspadori Conquers Puglia | OneFootball

Napoli snatched a gutsy 1-0 win against relegation-battling Lecce to temporarily steer six points clear of Inter at the top of the Serie A standings. It was not a convincing display from Antonio Conte’s side, but it was enough to bring them a step closer to their second title in three years.

Full of confidence after going three points clear of defending champions Inter at the table’s summit, Napoli headed into this fixture keen to extend their eight-match winning streak in Serie A. Romelu Lukaku inspired the visitors to a dream start, finding the net after only two minutes.

However, VAR disallowed the Belgian’s scrappy goal for a marginal offside, though it only postponed the inevitable. Giacomo Raspadori slotted home an outstanding close-range free-kick midway through the first half to put Napoli in front.

Lecce tried to fight back but couldn’t believe their misfortune when Kialonda Gaspar hit the crossbar with a towering header at the near post. The division’s least prolific side was unlucky moments later as referee Davide Massa refused to point to the spot, even though Leonardo Spinazzola handled the ball inside the box.

Given the massive gap between the sides in the league table, some would expect Napoli to be in a more dominant position. However, Marco Giampaolo’s men were not inferior to their more esteemed visitors, forcing the Partenopei to great lengths to protect their slender lead in the second half.

Napoli (4-3-3)

Alex Meret – 6.5

Gaspar’s crossbar didn’t force the Napoli goalkeeper into action, but Thorir Johann Helgason’s thunderous half-volley at the start of the second half required an acrobatic save from the Italian.

Leonardo Spinazzola – 6

Lucky not to give away a penalty late in the first half, Spinazzola had a torrid evening in Puglia, often second best in one-on-one duels and insecure in possession.

Mathias Olivera – 7

Despite being deployed out of position, the Uruguayan left-back excelled as a center-half, making up for a lack of aerial prowess with excellent positioning and anticipation.

Amir Rrahmani – 7.5

The Kosovo international has become a focal point of Conte’s backline, delivering another impressive performance at the heart of Napoli’s defense, even without Juan Jesus and Alessandro Buongiorno.

Giovanni Di Lorenzo – 6

After a lively start to the match, the Napoli captain gradually faded, finding it difficult to impose himself offensively while remaining largely solid in his defensive duties.

Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa – 5.5

It’s hard to escape the premise the Cameroonian midfielder lacked his usual dynamism going forward, though he fared well defensive, helping Napoli fend off Lecce’s attacks.

Stanislav Lobotka – 6

The diminutive playmaker wasn’t on the ball enough today. His passes were clean and precise, but Napoli missed his ability to break through the opposition’s lines with his ‘killer’ instinct.

Scott McTominay – 6.5

Conte’s pre-match praise was warranted as the ex-Manchester United star proved Napoli’s driving force in the engine room, putting in another shift to get them closer to the Scudetto.

Giacomo Raspadori – 7

There was a chance he should’ve put away toward the end of the first half. However, that pales in comparison to his earlier brilliance, as he scored a sublime free-kick to seal the win for Napoli.

Matteo Politano – 6

VAR denied him an early assist for Lukaku, yet it didn’t knock the Italian winger off his perch as he continued to cause problems for Lecce with his quick feet and direct plays.

Romelu Lukaku – 5.5

Ineffective and cut off from the rest of the team for large spells, the robust striker had one glorious chance in the second half but fluffed his lines. Would’ve been deemed offside anyway.

Substitutes

Billy Gilmour – 6

Philip Billing – 5.5