Frosinone – Naples 1-3
Scorers: 7′ pt Harroui (rig), 24′ pt Politano, 42′ pt Osimhen, 34′ st Osimhen
Frosinone (4-3-3): Turati 6; Oyono 5.5, Romagnoli 5.5, Monterisi 6, Marchizza 5.5; Gelli 5.5, Mazzitelli 6 (30′ st Brescianini sv), Harroui 6.5 (41′ st Barrenechea sv); Case 6.5 (21′ st Kvernadze 5.5), Cuni 5.5 (21′ st Borrelli 5.5), Baez 6.5 (30′ st Canotto sv) On the bench: Palmisani, Cerofolini, Szyminski, Pahic, Macej, Garritano, Haoudi, Bidaoui. Coach: Di Francesco 6
Naples (4-3-3): Meret 6.5; Di Lorenzo 7, Rrahmani 6.5, Juan Jesus 6.5, Olivera 6.5 (31st Mario Rui sv); Cajuste 5.5 (1′ st Anguissa), Lobotka 6.5 (44′ st Ostigard sv), Zielinski 6.5; Politano 6.5 (31′ st Elmas sv), Osimhen 7.5 (35′ st Simeone sv), Raspadori 6.5 On the bench: Gollini, Contini, Zanoli, Natan, Russo, Zedadka, Lozano, Zerbin. Coach: Garcia 7
Referee: Marcenaro of Genoa 6.5
Note: Clear skies, pitch in good condition. Booked: Oyono, Lobotka, Cajuste, Olivera, Mazzitelli, Gelli. Corners 6-5 for Napoli. Recovery: 4′; 5′.
Mission accomplished for the new Naples by Rudi Garcia. The Italian champions start off again with a success, winning 3-1 on the Frosinone field on the first day of the championship. Called to make their debut on the field of a newly promoted team, supported by the numerous Neapolitan fans who arrived at the Stirpe stadium, Napoli carried out the task properly, won – as befits those who regained the Scudetto just three months ago 33 years later – and convinced in the version of the French technician. He starts again where Victor Osimhen left off. Last season’s top scorer immediately scored a brace, perfect in the 2-1 with an assist from Di Lorenzo, precise in the 3-1 again with a throw from the captain, one of the best on the pitch, after the 1-1 scored by Politano in the 24th minute. Eusebio Di Francesco’s Frosinone, back on the bench two years after the experience in Verona, tried to keep up with the Italian champions, so much so that they took the lead a few minutes after the kick-off, with a penalty made by Harroui, after a foul in the area by Cajuste, who Garcia fielded from the first minute to then replace him in the second half with Anguissa. The hosts then tried again at the start of the second half, with a crossbar hit by Baez from a free-kick. Even in the second half, however, the script repeats itself and Napoli, thanks to the new grafts, plays the game with insertions, finding spaces, scoring the third goal and touching the fourth with Zielinski. The Ciociari have the merit of having approached the game in a proactive way, as Di Francesco wants. To Garcia that of having led the Azzurri to start over exactly where they left off, that is, to party with the fans.
Empoli – Verona 0-1
Marker: 30’st Bonazzoli
Empoli (4-2-3-1): Caprile 5; Ebuehi 6, Ismajli 6, Stojanovic 6, Cacace 5.5 (33’st Pezzella sv); Marin 6, Grassi 5.5 (41’st Henderson sv); Cancellieri 6 (25’st Shpendi 6), Baldanzi 7, Gyasi 5 (41’st Ekong sv); Caputo 5 (25’st Small 5). On the bench: Perisan, Stubljar, Guarino, Ranocchia, Stojanovic, Marianucci, Haas. Coach: Zanetti 5.5.
Verona (3-4-2-1): Montipò 6.5; Dawidowicz 6.5, Magnani 6.5, Coppola 6.5; Terracciano 6, Hongla 5.5, Duda 6 (44’st Amione sv), Doig 5.5 (44′ st Cabal sv); Folorunsho 6 (24’st Saponara 6), Mboula 6 (24’st Bonazzoli 7); Ngonge 5 (24’st Djuric 6.5). On the bench: Berardi, Perilli, Gomez, Patane, Cisse, Cazzadori. Coach: Barons 6.5
Referee: Maximum of Termoli 7
Note: About 8500 spectators. Ammonites: Duda, Magnani, Cacace, Grassi. Corners: 2-4. Recovery: 3′, 6′.
Verona starts the championship in the best way. The Gialloblù first chase down Empoli and then strike, 15′ from the end, with Bonazzoli, able to take advantage of a mistake by Caprile to send in from close range. At Castellani, after the initial skirmishes, Marin shoots from the edge, Montipò touches it and deflects the ball onto the crossbar. The new signing Cancellieri tries from 25 meters, then Caputo forces Montipò to get his gloves dirty (12′). Caprile saves a free kick from Terracciano before the cooling break. In Verona Mboula is very active, Folonrusho as well, Caprile stops Ngonge (41′) then Baldanzi serves the very lonely Gyasi who, in the middle of the penalty area, all alone, shoots incredibly high. In the second half Marin, Dawidowicz and Doig did not find the mirror, Empoli continued to slam against the Scala wall and in the end even suffered the insult. At half an hour, in fact, on Duda’s corner, Caprile’s empty exit and Bonazzoli, in a turn, puts inside, bringing Verona forward. The team led by Baroni also doubled three minutes later with Djuric but the goal was disallowed for offside. The talented Shpendi tries to equalize when, seeing Montipò off the posts, he kicks from midfield and forces the Veronese goalkeeper to save for a corner. Baldanzi is not there and causes havoc forcing the goalkeeper from Verona to make yet another save (39′). Empoli besieges Verona which defends itself with order and Saponara (42′) sends it to the back. Six minutes of added time in which Baldanzi, the man of the match for posting, tries again to tickle Montipò but his shot (47 ‘), deflected by Magnani, ends up for a corner. On the other front, Caprile saves on Bonazzoli (49’) then the triple whistle confirms the Veronese victory.