Napoli marked their first game at the Stadio San Paolo of the new campaign with a 2-0 win as they overcame struggling Sampdoria in comfortable fashion.
Having spent the first few weeks of the season on road due to stadium construction works (which didn’t go as planned!), the Partenopei were welcomed back by a buoyant home support.
It took them just 13 minutes to cheer the first home goal of the 2019/20 season when Sampdoria’s slack defending was punished.
Giovanni Di Lorenzo received no pressure on the right as he lined up a cross, resulting in his low effort being met in the area by an unmarked Dries Mertens to emphatically power home.
Eljif Elmas went close as did the lively Chucky Lozano on his home debut and he came close to a second Serie A goal, only to drive just off the target.
Mertens almost had a second before the break too only for an unfortunate effort come off the crossbar and away to safety, although Alex Meret was called upon to keep out Emiliano Rigoni, providing a sharp reminder that 1-0 remained a dangerous scoreline.
The second half brought very little in the way of clear openings at either end until the crucial second goal arrived for Mertens, who netted after good work from Fernando Llorente in the area to tee him p for a relatively simple finish.
Thankfully for the heart rate of Napoli fans the world over, their 4-3 results of the opening two weeks are now a thing of the past.
Source: forzaitalianfootball.com