Napoli bounce back, Inter’s woes continue
MILAN: Lorenzo Insigne scored the only goal to get Serie A runners-up Napoli back winning 1-0 against Fiorentina on Saturday ahead of next week’s Champions League trip to Red Star Belgrade, but Inter Milan’s woes were compounded with a shock 1-0 defeat to Parma ahead of their European opener against Tottenham.
Carlo Ancelotti’s Napoli had fallen to their first defeat of the season before the international break 3-0 to Sampdoria in Genoa.
But Insigne broke through after 79 minutes in the San Paolo Stadium, whipping in his 50th Serie A goal following a cross from substitute Arkadiusz Milik.
It handed Fiorentina — who ended Napoli’s title hopes last April — their first defeat of the season.
Napoli move up to second with nine points, equal with champions Juventus who host Sassuolo yesterday with Cristiano Ronaldo still waiting for his first goal.
Inter Milan’s on-loan defender Federico Dimarco sealed victory for his new club Parma after 79 minutes in the San Siro.
“It’s a painful defeat,” said Inter coach Luciano Spalletti whose side drop to 12th just ahead of Parma.
Inter have only four points from as many games ahead of their return to the Champions League for the first time since the 20112012 season.
The 20-year-old Dimarco came on as a substitute just after the interval and unleashed a fierce longdistance strike into the top corner to score his first Serie A goal.
It gave promoted Parma their first league win this season, and first victory at the San Siro since May 1999.
Spalletti rang the changes with a view to Tuesday’s Champions League opener, resting last year’s top scorer Mauro Icardi, who had been struggling with a muscular problem with rightback Sime Vrsaljko out with a knee injury.
But the hosts failed to consistently threaten despite early chances for new signing Radja Nainggolan and Marcelo Brozovic, with Ivan Perisic also forcing a save from Parma goalkeeper Luigi Sepe.
Icardi came on after the break for Keita Balde and was also denied by Sepe.
But Parma opened the scoring in style when full-back Dimarco dispossessed Brozovic in midfield and fired past Inter goalkeeper Samir Handanovic.
Inter had a penalty appeal for a Dimarco handball turned down after consultation with VAR.
Meanwhile, French forward Gregoire Defrel scored his second brace in as many games as Sampdoria continued their form by hammering promoted Frosinone 5-0.
Defrel scored after 54 and 86 minutes to go top of the scorers standings with four goals.
Fabio Quagliarella had opened after ten minutes at Stadio Benito Stirpe with Gianluca Caprari getting the second just after the break. Dawid Kownacki converted a penalty seven minutes from time as Sampdoria move up to fourth.