Cagliari and Napoli drew 1-1 in Serie A, with Napoli falling further behind in the race for European spots after Zito Luvumbo’s late equalizer.
Francesco Calzona’s tenure as Napoli manager got off to a lackluster start in Serie A as his side was held to a 1-1 draw against relegation-threatened Cagliari, thanks to a late goal from Zito Luvumbo. The result leaves Napoli in ninth place, four points away from a European spot. However, the point could prove crucial for Cagliari as it brings them level with Hellas Verona and Sassuolo above them.
Calzona, who recently joined the Serie A champions, was unable to immediately turn their fortunes around, as the first half of the match was uneventful and devoid of chances. Cagliari, though, could consider themselves unlucky not to be leading at halftime, as an own goal from Amir Rrahmani was disallowed by VAR due to Gianluca Lapadula interfering with the Napoli captain while in an offside position.
The second half continued in a similar fashion, with Napoli looking far from their best and Cagliari pushing for the opening goal. Against the run of play, it was Victor Osimhen who gave Napoli the lead by connecting with a Giacomo Raspadori cross, scoring their first away league goal since November. However, in the final moments of the game, a hopeful ball into the box found Luvumbo, who turned and smashed it into the Napoli net, leaving the visitors stunned and with only two league wins this year.
It raises the question of what it will take to get Napoli firing again. Calzona, who is only in charge until the end of the season and set to lead Slovakia in the European Championships, will surely need to oversee significant changes in Naples over the summer that go beyond just the managerial position.
In a game that lacked quality, Raspadori stood out as the player of the match for Napoli. He was dangerous whenever he had the ball, providing his side’s best chance of the first half and delivering a great cross for Osimhen’s goal.
Here are the player ratings for both teams:
Cagliari:
– Scuffet 7
– Nandez 6
– Mina 5
– Dossena 6
– Augello 6
– Jankto 5
– Makoumbou 6
– Deiola 5
– Luvumbo 7
– Gaetano 5
– Lapadula 4
Subs:
– Viola 5
– Pavoletti 4
– Zappa 5
– Oristanio 5
– Petagna 5
Napoli:
– Meret 6
– Mazzocchi 6
– Rrahmani 5
– Jesus 5
– Olivera 6
– Anguissa 6
– Lobotka 6
– Zielinski 7
– Raspadori 7
– Osimhen 7
– Kvaratskhelia 6
Subs:
– Politano 6
– Cajuste 6
– Lindstrom 5
– Ostigard 5
– Simeone 6
In terms of match highlights, Cagliari took the lead in the 32nd minute through an own goal from Rrahmani. However, the goal was disallowed as Lapadula was deemed to have interfered with play from an offside position. In the 96th minute, Luvumbo scored a stunning goal out of nowhere, equalizing for Cagliari and leaving Napoli players in disbelief.
Key stats: