Napoli survive scare to win

Mazzarri steps down at Torino

GENOA, Italy, Feb 4, (AP): Napoli let slip a two-goal lead but bounced back to win at Sampdoria 4-2 in Serie A .

It was Napoli’s third league win since Gennaro Gattuso took over on Dec 11 and moved the club up to 10th.

Sampdoria remained 16th, four points above the relegation zone.

Napoli came into the match with momentum after a week which saw them beat Serie A leaders Juventus in the league and reach the Italian Cup semifinals.

And they were 2-0 up within 16 minutes following goals from Arkadiusz Milik and Eljif Elmas. The 20-year-old Elmas burst into tears after scoring his first goal for the club.

However, former Napoli forward Fabio Quagliarella reduced the deficit in the 26th minute with a spectacular volley. Both sides had goals ruled out before another former Napoli player, Manolo Gabbiadini, leveled with a penalty in the 73rd after visiting defender Kostas Manolas fouled Quagliariella.

New signing Diego Demme restored Napoli’s lead seven minutes from time and fellow substitute Dries Mertens sealed the result in stoppage time.

Walter Mazzarri stepped down as Torino coach after his club conceded 11 goals over its last two matches, and Moreno Longo was hired as his replacement.

After an embarrassing 7-0 rout at home by Atalanta, Torino lost 4-0 at relegation-threatened Lecce on Sunday to stretch its losing streak to three games.

Longo is a former Torino player and youth squad coach who also coached Pro Vercelli and Frosinone. Napoli’s Dries Mertens (center), celebrates scoring against Sampdoria during a Serie A soccer match on Feb 3, in Genova, Italy. (AP)