He Naples, current champion of the Coppa Italia, qualified this Wednesday for the quarterfinals, where the winner of the Rome-Spezia (They will play next January 19), after suffering 3-2 over Empoli at the stadium Diego Armando Maradona.
The Mexican ‘Chucky’ Lozano was decisive with an assist and a goal in a duel marked by emotion, which ended up solving Andrea Petagna with a target near the end.
Empoli could not count on its coach, Alessio Dionisi, nor with three of his players: the attacker Leonardo Mancuso, the central Roberto Pirrello and the polish midfielder Szymon Zurkowski because of the Covid-19, as announced by the club this Wednesday in an official note. The four had to remain confined in a Neapolitan hotel, an isolation that was ordered by the Ministry of Health, since last January 4 they were in close contact with a positive case during a Bologna flight.
Empoli also reported that Dionisi, Mancuso, Pirrello and Zurkowski, like the entire team, were subjected after the aforementioned flight to PCR test they were negative in all cases.
Without Alessio Dionisi, Empoli was led from the bench by his second, Paolo Cozzi. In a match without a clear dominator, the Naples had his first chance in the 7th minute with a shot from Hirving lozano that a spectacular paradón of the meta was found Furlan. The Mexican, shortly after, made the first goal of the team of Gattuso. He served a big ball back than the side Say Lorenzo culminated with a superb header from the penalty spot.
He Empoli he replied with an acrobatic finish of Matos who hit the top of the crossbar but wasted no time in leveling the score with an impressive shot from Nedim Bajrami to the long stick from the vertex of the area. In a vibrant first half with constant alternatives, the unstoppable Hirving lozano hit the set of Paolo Cozzi with a “diabolical” right hand that raised the score to 2-1.
After the break, the Naples he was close to making the third in the afternoon with a shot from Say Lorenzo, a defender with the soul of an attacker. Those of Gattuso advanced lines and took command of the game in search of the goal of 'tranquility' against a Empoli crouched that did not give up the attack. Again, Bajrami He beat Meret with a shot placed from the middle distance that again equalized the intense duel, where not both contenders did not give themselves the slightest respite.
The stick prevents a goal from Fabián Ruiz
He Naples he returned to the charge and the ‘Chucky’ Lozano, following an assist from Insigne, he brushed the double with a cross shot that went over the goal line of a confident Furlan. The Spanish Fabián Ruiz, recently entered the field of play, had his with a shot with the left that took the goal of Empoli.
Just 13 minutes to go Petagna He put Napoli ahead by taking advantage of a bad rebound from the visiting defense after a corner kick. Fabian Ruiz He was about to sign the 4-2, but his shot crashed into the post. Another Spanish, Fernando llorente, he entered with the game practically over and with his team suffering until the final whistle.
3- Naples: Meret; Di Lorenzo, Rrahmani, Koulibaly, Ghoulam; Demme (Bakayoko, 88 '), Lobotka (Zielinski, 69'); Politano (Insigne, 61 '), Elmas (Fabián Ruiz, 69'), Hirving Lozano; and Petagna (Fernando Llorente, 88 ')
2- Empoli: Furlan; Zappella, Casale, Viti, Terzic (Asllani, 85 '); Ricci, Damiani, Haas (Cambiaso, 62 '); Bajrami (Baldanzi, 85 '); Olivieri (La Mantia, 72 ') and Matos (Moreo, 62')
Goals: 1-0, Di Lorenzo (18 '); 1-1, Bajrami (33 '); 2-1, Hirving Lozano (38 '); 2-2, Bajrami (68 '); 3-2, Petagna (77 ')
Referee: Antonio Giua. He showed a yellow card to the visitor Olivieri (45 ')
Stadium: Behind closed doors at the Diego Armando Maradona stadium