Napoli defeated Fiorentina 3-0 at the Stadio San Paolo on Sunday afternoon in Serie A.
Goals from Dries Mertens, Marek Hamsik and Jose Callejon saw the Partenopei comprehensively beat the Viola in Naples and keep alive faint hopes of Champions League qualification.
After crashing out of the Coppa Italia semi-finals midweek both coaches were looking for a positive response from their players, but it Rafael Benitez’ side who shaded a relatively even first-half.
With Mertens in creative mood Fiorentina struggled to contain the diminutive Belgian, Jasmin Kurtic twice resorting to fouling the attacker.
On nine minutes the wideman carried the ball down the left, bursting past Stefan Savic, and delivered a low cross that Jose Basanta clumsily managed to turn wide of his own post.
Mertens then supplied Gonzalo Higuain with a well weighted through ball, but as the Argentinean looked to round Neto in stepped Basanta with a crucial interception.
However, on 24 minutes the Partenopei had the lead. Higuain laying off to Mertens on the edge of the box and, with Micah Richards allowing him space, curled a wonderful low effort past the goalkeeper.
Vincenzo Montella’s side started to control possession from that moment and it took a wonderful challenge in midfield from Walter Gargano to create what should have been their second on 35 minutes.
With the ball breaking to Higuain the Argentinean drove forward onto his right-foot and unleashed a powerful long range strike that came down off the underside of the bar and over the line.
However, as the ball quickly bounced back into play a goal was never signalled by any of the officials and it remained 1-0.
As the first period ended Fiorentina could not capitalise on their slice of good fortune, Manuel Pasqual sending over a wonderful cross on 44 minutes that none of his teammates anticipated.
The second-half continued much the same and it was the host’s Manolo Gabbiadini who threatened next with a curling effort that went just wide on 55 minutes.
Higuain then found himself with just Neto to beat, after Savic miscalculated Mertens’ lofted ball, but a heavy touch wasted the opportunity to double the Partenopei’s lead.
However, Napoli did find a second on 72 minutes, Callejon threading a ball through the Viola defence which substitute Hamsik stroked past Neto.
It was Callejon that put the icing on a fine victory in the last minute of normal time, meeting a Lorenzo Insigne cross just inside the six yard box and placing the ball into the net on the volley.
Napoli’s first win since February may not ultimately help them catch third placed Lazio, but will provide a timely boost with Benitez’ men travel to high-flying Wolfsburg in the Europa League on Thursday.
