In the dying moments of the match, Amir Rrahmani secures a last-minute victory for Napoli with a 2-1 triumph over Salernitana, who currently sit at the bottom of the league standings.
Heartbreak for Serie A’s bottom side meant a great escape for the reigning champions, whose match – and arguably their season – was rescued by injury time goals in each half.
The first was a penalty awarded – upon review – on the stroke of half time, dispatched coolly by Matteo Politano, with the winner a cool finish from centre-back Amir Rrahamani.
Despite the home side dominating first half possession, they failed to advance much towards the opposition’s goal. After the away team endured the opening spell, they began to find their feet, growing in confidence with every minute.
It was Salernitana who fired the first shots, and less of a surprise than it might be that it was they who took the lead in the 29th minute. Antonio Candreva received a neat pass from Bradaric on the edge of the box, set himself up with a simple touch before letting rip with a curler into the top right corner from 25 yards.
Going a goal down may have been what Napoli needed, as only after conceding did they have some productive possession and their first decent efforts from inside the box.
The equaliser came from the spot, as Simeone came off worse from a 50-50 squabble with Fazio. After initially turning down appeals for a penalty, the referee awarded it following VAR review. Under no small amount of pressure, Politano comfortably dispatched it low and left out of reach of Ochoa.
The second half produced much of the same, with Napoli largely in control but unable to make their possession count. Until the dying moments of the match, that is. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia went close on 94 minutes, failing to make the most of a good chance inside the box.
Two minutes later a free kick which Salernitana failed to address found Rrahamani in the perfect close range position.
The Kosovan shrugged off the pressure, smash the ball home and send home fans into rapture.
The player was booked for taking his shirt off in celebration, but that won’t bother his manager Mazzarri, who may yet see this as a turning point in what has been a season of struggle.
Talking point – Playing to the whistle
If Napoli have not this season been of the quality they were when they won the scudetto, they will hopefully have been able to take from this year the importance of character, commitment and fortitude. Had they dropped their heads for the many minutes the match wasn’t going their way, Mazzarri’s men could well have walked off the pitch rueing missed chances, and down two points or even three.
As it was, they kept working and refused to settle for less than the victory against a Salernitana side who themselves are better than their league position would suggest. Whether or not this win signals the start of something more for Napoli it was, on its own terms, something special.
Player of the match – Giovanni Di Lorenzo
If character is what Napoli showed in abundance today, there is only one man who can be credited for geeing up his players. It would be a cliche to call his a captain’s performance but it is Di Lorenzo who wears the armband, and he who ensured Napoli kept pushing forward. Many of the moves, whether they came to anything or not, were built out from the back, and it was their simple creation which gave the players belief and ensured they kept coming.