Napoli 2-0 Parma: Partenopei stroll to easy win over strugglers

Date: 18th December 2014 at 10:54pm
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Mertens penalty - Napoli v ParmaNapoli got back to winning ways with a 2-0 victory over bottom club Parma at the Stadio San Paolo in Serie A this evening.

Goals from Duvan Zapata and Dries Mertens from the penalty spot in the first half lifted the hosts back up to third place, while Parma remain rooted to the foot of the table.

Napoli began on the front foot when Jose Callejon latched onto a quick free-kick before blazing it over the bar in only the third minute.

Parma’s midfield seemed content to sit back in an attempt to close any spaces within their defensive half of the pitch.

However, that allowed the home side freedom to hold onto possession for long periods of time and build up their attacking play at will.

The Partenopei duly made a breakthrough on 19 minutes when a fine cross from the right by Christian Maggio found powerful striker Duvan Zapata in the box with his back to goal. The Colombian outmuscled Gabriel Palletta prior to turning and firing the ball low beyond Parma goalkeeper Antonio Mirante, who had no hope of stopping the fizzing shot.

Rafa Benitez’s men were then handed an opportunity to gain full control of proceedings when Massimo Gobbi chopped Callejon down for a penalty on the half-hour, with the Parma man receiving a yellow card for his indiscretion.

Up stepped Dries Mertens to slot his spot-kick into the bottom right-hand corner, despite Mirante’s best efforts to keep the ball out when getting a left hand to the ball before it nestled into the net.

Burly forward Duvan Zapata was running the away side’s back-line ragged and Daniele Galloppa received a booking for a poor challenge from behind.

Almost immediately, Napoli defender Miguel Britos headed over the bar when completely unmarked with a golden chance he really should have buried.

An awful long-range free-kick by Cassano with two minutes of the first half remaining pretty much summed up his team’s overall insipid display.

It was more of the same at the beginning of the second half, with dangerman Zapata going clean through twice in the first 12 minutes of the second period only to be denied by Parma’s exposed ‘keeper.

Jose Callejon also had a shot go just wide of the uptight during a spell of absolutely domination by the hosts.

Parma substitute Francesco Lodi then hit the woodwork in what was the visitors’ very first commendable attack on goal with 20 minutes remaining.

As if to reassert their authority, Napoli broke on the counter straight away through their sub Gonzalo Higuain. However, his low shot was well parried by Mirante and the follow-up was charged down.

Roberto Donadoni’s charges seemed to wake up in the final ten minutes of the contest, with a series of meaningful moves almost creating an opening.

Alas, it was all a little too late in the day for the Crociati, as Napoli deservedly claimed all three points ahead of their Supercoppa Italiana clash with Juventus on Monday.

 

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