In a thrilling encounter, Napoli secured a hard-fought victory against Pisa, finishing with a score of 3-2 in the fourth round of Serie A. The match, held at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium, was an emotional rollercoaster for both teams. Despite Pisa’s efforts, including a penalty and a late goal from Mbala Nzola and Lorran, they fell short against a resilient Napoli side.
Napoli’s goals came from Billy Gilmour in the 38th minute, Leonardo Spinazzola in the 72nd, and Lorenzo Lucca in the 81st minute, showcasing their offensive prowess. Gilmour’s performance stood out as he not only scored but was instrumental in creating chances throughout the match.
The decisive moment of the match came with a stunning play orchestrated by Scott McTominay, whose well-placed cross found Lorenzo Lucca, who expertly placed the ball past the Pisa goalkeeper Adrian Semper.
On the tactical front, Napoli’s coach Antonio Conte opted for a 4-5-1 formation, with Alex Meret guarding the goal, supported by a defensive line of Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Sam Beukema, Alessandro Buongiorno, and Spinazzola. The midfield was bolstered by Gilmour, Matteo Politano, Eljif Elmas, Kevin De Bruyne, and Scott McTominay, with Rasmus Hojlund leading the attack.
Pisa, on the other hand, started with a 3-5-2 arrangement under Alberto Gilardino, with Adrian Semper in goal and a defensive triad comprising Simone Canestrelli, Antonio Caracciolo, and Mateus Lusuardi. Their midfield featured Mehdi Léris, Ebenezer Akinsanmiro, Michel Aebischer, Marius Marin, and Giovanni Bonfanti, while Stefano Moreo paired with Mbala Nzola in the front line.
Valerio Crezzini officiated the match, which saw Napoli rise to the top of the standings with 12 points, while Pisa remains struggling in 19th place with just 1 point.
Substitutions for Napoli
56’ – Billy Gilmour off for Stanislav Lobotka; Eljif Elmas off for Frank Anguissa
76’ – Rasmus Hojlund off for Lorenzo Lucca
Yellow Cards for Napoli
67’ – Leonardo Spinazzola (Unsporting behavior)
Substitutions for Pisa
60’ – Mehdi Léris off for Juan Cuadrado; Stefano Moreo off for Henrik Meister
73’ – Mbala Nzola off for Matteo Tramoni; Giovanni Bonfanti off for Samuele Angori
79’ – Marius Marin off for Lorran; Alessandro Buongiorno off for Juan Jesus
Yellow Cards for Pisa
49’ – Antonio Caracciolo (Holding opponent to prevent progression); 65’ – Alberto Gilardino (Dissent towards the referee); 81’ – Mateus Lusuardi (Holding opponent to prevent progression)
Looking ahead, Napoli will travel to face Milan in their next Serie A fixture, while Pisa will host Fiorentina.