Romelu Lukaku scored against his former club as Napoli secured a 1-0 victory over struggling Roma on Sunday, reclaiming the top spot in Serie A and marking Claudio Ranieri’s debut in charge of the Giallorossi with disappointment.
With this win, Napoli moved one point ahead of Atalanta, Inter Milan, Fiorentina, and Lazio in the standings. Fiorentina continued its impressive form, defeating Como 2-0 for its seventh consecutive victory, while Lazio triumphed 3-0 over 10-man Bologna.
Lukaku netted the decisive goal early in the second half, redirecting a cross from Napoli captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona. Roma nearly equalized when Artem Dovbyk’s header struck the crossbar.
Lukaku, who played for Roma last season, was a key transfer target for Napoli when Antonio Conte took over as head coach this season.
Ranieri, appointed just ten days prior, is Roma’s third manager of the season, following the departures of Ivan Juric and Daniele De Rossi. Despite the loss, Roma remains in 12th place, four points clear of the relegation zone.
In Fiorentina’s match, Yacine Adli opened the scoring with a long-range effort, and Moise Kean added a second midway through the second half, marking his ninth goal of the season. This victory marks Fiorentina’s first seven-match winning streak in Serie A since 1960, when they achieved eight consecutive wins.
Bologna faced a tough challenge after Tommaso Pobega received two yellow cards in the first half, reducing his team to ten men. Lazio capitalized on this advantage with second-half goals from Samuel Gigot, Mattia Zaccagni, and Fisayo Dele-Bashiru.
In other matches, Patrick Vieira’s debut as Genoa coach ended in a 2-2 draw against Cagliari, with both of Cagliari’s goals coming from penalties, including Roberto Piccoli’s equalizer in the 88th minute. Vieira was hired on Wednesday to replace Alberto Gilardino. Additionally, Torino and Monza played to a 1-1 draw.
Related topics
- Maryland Men’s Soccer Defeats LIU 5-2
- Arsenal, City, and Bayern Reach Champions League Quarterfinals
- Where to Buy Soccer Tickets
