Napoli thrash Cremonese to continue Serie A title charge

Napoli continued their Serie A title charge as they thrashed Cremonese 3-0 at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium on Sunday evening. The result sees the Partenopei open up a 16-point lead at the top of the standings over second-placed Inter Milan having played an extra game.

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia opened the scoring for the hosts in the 21^st minute with a brilliant bottom-corner finish. The Georgian, who was playing on his twenty-second birthday, picked up a loose ball from the right flank before dropping his shoulder to fire past Marco Carnesecchi in the Cremonese goal.

The hosts should have been ahead by 3-0 within the first 30 minutes but Kvaratskhelia and Victor Osimhen both missed free headers from just 6 yards out in the penalty box in a matter of minutes.

Carnesecchi kept the score at 1-0 by denying Stanislav Lobotka right before the halftime whistle as Luciano Spalletti’s side looked utterly dominant and playing like Champions elect. Cremonese, who are bottom of the standings in the Serie A hardly troubled the hosts as they failed to create any chances of their own.

Five minutes after the hour mark, Osimhen got his goal, tapping home into an empty net following Govani Di Lorenzo’s header that had been superbly saved by Carnesecchi. It was the Nigerian’s 17^th league goal this season.

Substitute Eljif Elmas then made it 3-0 in the 79^th minute with a stunning finish hitting the bottom corner after some wonderful interplay in midfield and the final third. Napoli dominated the game from start to finish and they barely allowed Cremonese to trouble their goalkeeper in the entirety of the second half.

It has been over 3 decades since the Partenopei last won the Scudetto back during the golden days of Diego Maradona in the 1989-90 campaign. Their scintillating form this season and a 19^th victory in the league surely puts them as clear favorites to win the coveted league trophy finally after near misses over the past few years to Juventus.  

Photo: IMAGO / sportphoto24