November - Complacency A Stumbling Block
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COMING UP:
Napoli vs Real Madrid
Napoli vs Catania
Livorno vs Napoli
Napoli vs Juventus
Monaco vs Napoli
Sassuolo vs Napoli
Napoli's first game of a dismal October began at the Soa Paolo against Real Madrid. This match would ultimately decide their fate in the Champions League. Should they lose, they would be knocked out, with just Europa League football to compete for. Should they win, little hope would remain for the Azzurri in the competition.
Gareth Bale kick started the match with the first goal. This time early on in the match. His free kick from around 22 yards out curled around the outside of the wall and curled just enough to creep past the inside of the left goal post.
The Welshman scored a few minutes later, but this time from the spot. Alvarez Balanta conceded a penalty in the 20th minute which led to Bale putting Real two goals to the good. Despite going two down, Napoli hit back with a taste of Madrid's own medicine, attacking in large numbers. Wave after wave of attack, Real could barely hold on.
They held on for long enough it seems though. Napoli did actually score seven minutes before the end of the game. Lucas Moura the man who tucked away a neat finish from a clear cut chance. That was it though. All Napoli could play for now, was Europa league football. A good result against Monaco would most definitely see that them through.
Right after their defeat to Madrid, the team would travel all the way back to Italy, where they would start their preparations for an encounter with Catania in two days time.
These preparations were unsuccessful for this match. A disappointing result and performance all round for Napoli as they were victim to a 2-1 defeat in their own city.
Sebastien Leto, Catania's current Serie A top scorer scored their first goal just after twenty minutes, and just before 30 minutes hit, Francesco Lodi netted their second.
Napoli left it to late to pull their socks up and so...Their first goal coming from Raul Albiol was all to late to help them save a point. 90 minutes had already passed, Napoli weren't going to get another. hey would have to put up with their second Serie A loss of the season.
They earned just the one extra point when they faced Livorno away from home. Napoli went behind a minute into the second half. A timely chipped effort from Federico Dionisi beat Casteels who came of his line to try his best to close down the striker, who was in a one on one situation with the Belgian keeper.
Gonzalo Higuain saved Napoli's bacon just a minute later though. Fiamozzi zipped a cross into the near post where Rodrigo Gomez was able touch the ball down and pull it back to Napoli's main striker Higuain who struck the ball before any defenders could get near him. The scores were level, and that's the way it stayed.
A big game was drawing ever closer now. The Sao Paolo was about to hos what would be on of the biggest games this season. A game that would decide who would go top of the table, and who would go or stay second.
Would Napoli stay top of the league? Or would the Old Lady break the hearts of Partenopei fans and celebrate making it to the top of the Serie A league table.
Napoli started off terribly. Yet another red card for the season in the FIRST minute of the game. William Carvalho, would take an early...In fact a very early bath after a horror tackle on Croation Ivan Rakitic.
Napoli made some quick tactical changes to their formation. Goran Pandev would have to make way for Blaise Matuidi as Napoli switched to an ultra defensive tactic. The changes worked for a surprisingly long time, but after an hour of tireless attacking from Juventus, they finally got the breakthrough from Llorente. Finally they had broken down the packed defense and scored from a cross which penetrated through the Partenopei back line leaving Llorente in a position to tap the ball home with his head.
A while later, Alvaro Negredo put the game beyond Napoli late in the game. Juventus would take top spot from Napoli...But for how long?
Their fifth game of the Champions league group stage. Napoli would need a great win here to head into the Europa League, and didn't they do just that. Through the entire first half, the sky blues dominated the game but unfortunately got no goals.
It took until the second half where we would finally see Riccardo Fiamozzi overlap Pereyra who had the ball on the right. Pereyra's vision allowed him to make a quick short pass which opened up the Monaco defense like a tin of beans. Fiamozzi cushioned the ball with his left, and the momentum let it spin up his shin and he belted a well connected volley which hit the far left corner.
Hamsik scored just before the 70th minute struck with a header from a fantastic ball into the box by Hojbjerg. The skipper directed well out of the keepers reach and managed to beat the Argentine, Sergio Romero.
Falcao scored only two minutes later but his goal would mean nothing to his side. Monaco were knocked out of Europe's biggest footballing stage to the hands of Napoli.
Napoli finished up the month with their second win in a row. Finally, a decent amount of points to take away from a Serie A match. Their form has been poor all month in the league, but finally they found their feet and ripped apart their opposition Sassuolo and even managed to take back their 'rightful' position at the top of the table.
4-0 away from home! A fantastic result for Baggio's team. Pereyra managed to bag a brace between 16 and 87 minutes whilst Alvarez Balanta scored a header from a corner mid way into the second half. Higuain finished Sassuolo off with another header. This time a cross from Murru ensured the clinical striker could get down low and head the ball into the bottom corner.
Thoughts On The Report
Baggio: A poor month. That's the only way to put it. Luckily we regained top spot due to Juventus slipping up at Catania. But we must, must, must improve. A horrible month. Thankfully, we ended it with two wins like we did in October. That will earn us top spot in the Serie A and a place in the Europa League Round of 16. Our performances will improve. We got complacent, it shall not happen again.
Hamsik: A disappointing month. I am honestly shocked. We didn't play half as good as we have been in previous months. I am shocked at some of the performances I have witnessed this month. But I am mostly shocked at my own. I have let the team, the manager and myself down. I did not lead the team as well as I can and this shall improve. We won;t win the league like this. We must keep our heads held high, and we must seize any chances to take three points from League games.