Lorenzo Lucca netted his inaugural goal for Napoli, contributing to their 2-1 friendly triumph against Serie B club Catanzaro, with Giacomo Raspadori also finding the back of the net.
In Napoli`s second pre-season fixture, coach Antonio Conte deployed a somewhat unexpected lineup. He featured Raspadori, Noa Lang, and David Neres in an attacking role behind Lucca, supported by a two-man midfield composed of Kevin De Bruyne and Stanislav Lobotka.
Napoli wasted no time in opening the scoring; a mere five minutes into the game, Raspadori clinically converted a pass from Neres, who delivered the ball from the by-line.
Shortly thereafter, the lead was doubled. Pigliacelli fouled Lucca, and the former Udinese forward confidently converted the resulting penalty kick, marking his first goal for the club.
Making his debut start for Napoli, Sam Beukema nearly added another goal, reacting quickly to a deflected shot from Raspadori and hitting the post from close proximity.
Noa Lang`s shot narrowly missed the target, while Kevin De Bruyne`s clever back-heel created another opportunity for Lucca.
Catanzaro`s Marco D’Alessandro tested Napoli goalkeeper Alex Meret, and after the half-time break, Pietro Iemmello reduced the deficit with an impressive individual effort.
Simone Pontisso had two notable chances for Catanzaro; first, he narrowly missed connecting with a cross at the far post, and then forced a save from substitute goalkeeper Nikita Contini.
Napoli`s Pasquale Mazzocchi and Leonardo Spinazzola also posed a threat, though Antonio Vergara`s attempt was cleared off the line by a Catanzaro defender.
Romelu Lukaku found the back of the net, but his goal was disallowed due to an infraction in the build-up.
Match Summary
Napoli 2-1 Catanzaro
- Raspadori 5` (N)
- Lucca pen 7` (N)
- Iemmello 49` (C)
Napoli Lineup
Meret (Contini 46`); Di Lorenzo (Mazzocchi 46`), Rrahmani (Juan Jesus 46`), Beukema (Marianucci 46`), Olivera (Spinazzola 46`); Lobotka (Vergara 46`), De Bruyne (Hasa 46`); Neres (Zerbin 46`), Raspadori (Saco 46`), Lang (Zanoli 46`); Lucca (Lukaku 46`)
