A time-wasting booking that said it all
83rd minute. David de Gea is shown a yellow card for hanging on to the ball in his six-yard box. Napoli are piling on the pressure. Fiorentina are clinging to their point.
And they kept it. 1-1 at the Stadio Artemio Franchi, in the opening game of Serie A matchday 5, this afternoon.
Billy Gilmour had put Napoli ahead in the 23rd minute. Matteo Politano delivered the cross, the Scot finished it off. Napoli went in at the break comfortable, on top, and looking like a side that would add to the lead.
Then, six minutes after the restart, Alex Jimenez levelled it up. Cher Ndour with the pass. 1-1. The Spanish full-back had flipped the game on its head all by himself.
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Allegri tried everything
The Napoli boss emptied his bench. Lorenzo Lucca came on for Rasmus Hojlund in the 58th minute. David Neres replaced Noa Lang shortly after. Costantino Favasuli went on for Politano in the 73rd. Then Frank Anguissa arrived in the 90th, taking the place of Stanislav Lobotka.
Nothing worked. 58% possession, two big chances created to Fiorentina’s one. Not enough to make the difference.
Kevin De Bruyne started, supporting Hojlund in Allegri’s 4-2-3-1. The Belgian couldn’t find a way through either.
Dragusin and Jimenez stood out
Radu Dragusin finished with the best algorithmic rating in the match, 7.5. Thirty-eight successful passes from forty, two fouls won. The Romanian held the centre together.
Right behind him, Alex Jimenez on 7.4, scorer of the goal and the creator of his side’s only big chance. Gilmour completes the top three at 7.2, with 24 successful passes in the final third, the best total in the match.
For Fiorentina, it was a tough night for the forwards. Alieu Njie did not win any of his seven duels. Mateo Pellegrino won none of his five. Paolo Vanoli took both off, sending on Beto and then Gnonto.
Before kick-off, Napoli sat 9th with 7 points, Fiorentina 16th with 4. Both teams walk away with one more point and the same headache they arrived with.
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