Napoli 2-4 AS Roma: 5 Talking Points
Napoli were left quaking in the boots after their title hopes were dealt with a severe blow in a thumping 2-4 defeat to a rejuvenated AS Roma at the Stadio San Paolo. Juventus, who left it late against Lazio earlier in the day, are just a point behind with a game in hand.
A sixth-minute opener from Lorenzo Insigne suggested another victory on the cards, but the celebrations were short-lived as Cenriz Under equalised for the hosts within a minute. A composed Edin Dzeko scored on either side of the halves to put the game beyond doubt, and Diego Perotti added the cherry on top with a fourth goal.
With the match already decided by then, Dries Mertens curled in a late one to salvage some pride, but it did little to allay the fears that engulfed the cauldron as their Serie A ambitions threaten to tumble. Here's what we learnt from the match.
Here are the 5 talking points from the clash...
#5 The game lived up to its billing
Even though the game was littered with nervy moments for the fans in either camps, the neutrals were served an absolute treat under Saturday night lights. Napoli versus AS Roma was the top billing in Serie A this weekend among a handful of enticing clashes lined-up on matchday 27, and it thoroughly lived up to all the pre-match hullabaloo.
Both sides flew out of the blocks right from the offing as each bagged a goal apiece inside the first 10 minutes. This edgy start to the tie did not slacken off as it progressed and produced plenty of moments to savour. The mammoth combined total of 18 shots on target testifies the amount of goal-mouth action that transpired, whilst the 15 fouls committed on the night evinced the gravitas of this match.
Napoli and Roma had their own incentives going into the tie and the way they fiercely contested, implied they would pull no punches in the quest. This, in turn, resulted in a mouth-watering spectacle for the viewers who had their nerves wracked through the course of 90 minutes.