Napoli briefly topped Serie following a 2-0 victory over Hellas Verona at the weekend. Louis Gibberd-Thomas believes Lorenzo Insigne and Gonzalo Higuain could fire the Partenopei to this season’s Serie A title.
Aside from the minor irritation of seeing Inter put four past Frosinone and go top of Serie A, it was a near perfect weekend for Napoli. The Partenopei are second behind the Nerazzurri, with 28 points and, like Inter, just the one defeat so far.
Maurizio Sarri extended his record at the helm to 12 wins in his last 14 competitive clashes, defeating Hellas Verona with goals from Lorenzo Insigne and Gonzalo Higuain. The result briefly put Napoli at the summit of Serie A, a feat they haven’t replicated in over two years.
Insigne was the star of the show, just as he has been for the last few months under Sarri. The 24-year-old was involved in a touching embrace with his coach after scoring his goal, reinforcing the bond the pair have created in their short time together. Verona fans weren’t quite as welcoming, raining down abuse on Insigne whenever he touched the ball.
Gonzalo Higuain wouldn’t have scored his tenth Serie A goal of the season were it not for Insigne, who continues to combine brilliantly with the Argentinian. Speculation has once again surfaced regarding the future of Higuain, an old chestnut that seems determined to drive the 27 year-old out of Italy.
Even before Higuain joined Napoli, the general consensus was the Real Madrid poacher would join Arsene Wenger at Arsenal. The Gunners were desperate for a proven goalscorer and Higuain met all the criteria.
However, the Partenopei hijacked the transfer. Higuain traveled with his new team to North London, taking part in the Emirates Cup. The Argentinian was demonized by the watching Arsenal fans, who jeered him even as he warmed up. One aspect football clubs have struggled to accept is Higuain looks to have found a home in Naples. Warmly received by locals who see him as one of their own, the legend of Diego Maradona has served as a backdrop to Higuain’s own glittering career in the bright blue jersey.
Next up for Napoli is an away trip to face Club Brugge in the Europa League. Attention is centred around the security ahead of the tie, with authorities concerned over the threat of a possible terrorist attack.
Belgian police have been conducting raids in the capital following events in Paris, with the majority of the perpetrators thought to have traveled from Belgium. Safety is the absolute priority for all concerned, so postponing this encounter would be a perfectly understandable measure.
Napoli will end the month with a titanic Serie A clash against Roberto Mancini’s team on Monday 30 November, one which could ultimately decide the title race. Having watched the Nerazzurri top the table this weekend, it could fall to Napoli to prevent the Nerazzurri running away with the Scudetto at this early stage.
Sarri will be encouraged by the form of Higuain and Insigne, who have 17 goals between them to the seven managed by Inter’s Mauro Icardi and Stevan Jovetic to date. It promises to be a fantastic encounter, with the Azzurri sure to make the most of the terrific Stadio San Paolo atmosphere.
