Serie A: Napoli Move Joint Top After Hard-Fought Win Over Venezia

Giacomo Raspadori's late strike propelled Napoli to a 1-0 win over Venezia, sending them joint top of the Serie A table.

Giacomo Raspadori made a decisive impact off the bench, scoring his first goal of the season to propel Napoli to a crucial victory over Venezia. The win catapulted the Partenopei into a tie for top spot in the league, alongside Atalanta, who were held to a 1-1 draw by Lazio in the previous night's match.

Napoli received a timely boost with the return of Khvicha Kvaratskhelia to the starting lineup, while David Neres replaced Matteo Politano, who was sidelined due to flu symptoms. However, the team suffered a setback with the injury of Alessandro Buongiorno, who hurt his back in training and will be out for several weeks. Venezia, meanwhile, was without several key players, including Michael Svoboda, Antonio Raimondo, Alfred Duncan, and Richie Sagrado.

In a surprising turn of events, referee Matteo Marchetti was forced to withdraw from the match due to an injury sustained during the warm-up. Fourth official Francesco Cosso took his place, ensuring the match could proceed without a hitch.

The match got off to a lively start, with Venezia goalkeeper Filip Stankovic making a crucial intervention in the third minute. He managed to get a touch on Amir Rrahmani's shot from six yards out, preventing the Napoli defender from scoring. Stankovic was called into action again soon after, as he dealt with a powerful shot from Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.

Napoli's Alex Meret was also forced to make a spectacular save at the other end. After a quick exchange of passes between John Yeboah and Francesco Zampano, Yeboah found himself with a clear sight of goal from 10 yards out. However, Meret reacted instinctively, using his trailing boot to deflect the shot and prevent Venezia from taking the lead.

The match continued to ebb and flow, with Napoli eventually being awarded a penalty after a series of corner kicks. The spot-kick was given when Matias Olivera's cross-shot was blocked by the outstretched arm of Jay Idzes. However, Romelu Lukaku's penalty was parried by Stankovic, keeping the score level. Notably, this was only the second time Lukaku had failed to convert a Serie A penalty, with the previous occasion coming against Lecce in November 2023 while playing for Roma.

Napoli squandered a gilt-edged opportunity to take the lead soon after, as Scott McTominay's effort was blocked, and Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa followed up by blasting the ball over the bar. The hosts continued to push for the opening goal, but Venezia's defense held firm.

Venezia briefly threatened through Hans Nicolussi Caviglia's in-swinging free kick, which forced Alex Meret to make a smart save. However, it was Napoli who continued to create the better chances. On 64 minutes, Filip Stankovic produced an outstanding save to deny Romelu Lukaku, palming the powerful angled drive onto the inside of the far post.

Napoli's persistence finally paid off when substitute Giacomo Raspadori scored with his first touch. David Neres' low cross from the left was deflected into Raspadori's path, and he smashed the ball in first-time from 10 yards. The goal was Raspadori's first for the club since April, and it came at a crucial time. Venezia's goalkeeper, Stankovic, made one final impressive save, getting his fingertips to a Matias Olivera cross-shot, but it wasn't enough to prevent Napoli from securing the win.