Napoli emerged 3-0 victors in their opening round fixture against Bologna at the Stadio San Paolo.
The Rossoblu were dominated by the hosts who saw new signing Jose Callejon open the scoring before captain Marek Hamsik added a further two to his side’s tally either side of half time. Napoli also had two goals ruled out for offside
The Partenopei started on the front foot, with Gokhan Inler playing a dangerous through ball to Marek Hamsik with Bologna goalkeeper Gianluca Curci thwarting the attempt on goal.
Napoli pressed Bologna high up the pitch, frequently forcing them to lose possession in the first 25 minutes, with Jose Callejon particularly impressive for the home side.
The next to try their luck on goal was debutant Callejon, who struck the inside of the post with a thunderous volley from the left side of Bologna’s penalty area after some nice interplay on the edge of the box.
Christian Maggio then skinned his man on the right and delivered into the middle, passing the ball straight to an opposition defender.
Marek Cech had to leave the pitch after sustaining a cut above the left eye in a clash with Goran Pandev, while the referee stopped the match so he could receive treatment.
Callejon then lifted a wonderful ball from the resulting free kick into the box, with Hamsik winning a free header which he directed straight into the awaiting arms of Curci.
New signing Callejon was involved again, heading the ball into the opposition penalty area after a good floated cross to the far post, but it was too far behind Gonzalo Higuain for him to make anything of it.
Hamsik then had a shot on the half volley from the left was awkwardly palmed away by Curci and was pounced upon by the waiting Callejon who tapped in the rebound from the centre of the goal.
Napoli dominated the first half, and Bologna struggled to find a way through to goal, being limited to just one shot on target from range by Panagiotis Kone due to Napoli’s good organisation at the back.
Higuain then found the back of the net, tapping the ball in after some great play by Hamsik, but the Argentine was in an offside position.
Azzurri captain Hamsik found the net right at the end of the first half, doubling his side’s advantage. The Napoli number 17 was passed the ball inside the box by Juan Camilo Zuniga after some good play from the Colombian on the left, and rounded the ‘keeper before slotting the ball in from a tight angle.
Napoli started the second half just as they finished the first, and Callejon almost scored his second goal of the game after he was put through on the right by Higuain from a Napoli counter-attack, but he fired it wide of the left post.
Zuniga made a storming run, charging his way through to the box before being crowded out by Gyorgy Garics and Mikael Antonsson, and was awarded a freekick on the edge of the box, which Higuain took and powered just wide of the right upright.
The pace of the game was much slower after the restart, with an increasing number of long balls being played by the home side. Bologna began to see a lot more of the ball, but were unable to do anything in the final third.
Rolando Bianchi was then set up by Davide Moscardelli’s beautiful back-heel flick on the edge of the Napoli box, but the new Bologna striker’s first shot on goal was fired just over Reina’s bar.
Hamisk drilled home Napoli’s third and his second of the match in the 62nd minute from a cutback by Goran Pandev after some confusion in the box following a good break down the right flank.
Bologna came more into the match as the second half wore on as Kone’s long range effort was spilled by Reina, who dealt with it as well as he could.
Dries Mertens had a goal ruled out for offside, as Higuain was passed the ball by Lorenzo Insigne after a swift counter-attack. The Argentine’s shot was spilled by Curci, as Mertens burst in to slot the ball home, but was adjudged to have been in an offside position.
Bologna saw much more of the ball for the last 20 minutes with the game much more stretched, but as in the first 45 minutes, they were unable to trouble the Napoli ‘keeper with the Vesuviani defence remaining resolute.
