Serie A | Napoli 0-0 Lecce: Embarrassing end to poor campaign | OneFootball

Serie A | Napoli 0-0 Lecce: Embarrassing end to poor campaign | OneFootball

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·26 May 2024

Serie A | Napoli 0-0 Lecce: Embarrassing end to poor campaign

Article image:Serie A | Napoli 0-0 Lecce: Embarrassing end to poor campaign

Napoli end the season in humiliating 10th place, missing out on Europe altogether after this dismal 0-0 with Lecce.

The Partenopei limped to the end of the season needing a win and for Torino to slip up in order to just scrape ninth place, which might be worth Conference League qualification if Fiorentina beat Olympiacos. Mario Rui, Piotr Zielinski and Leander Dendoncker were out of action, with Victor Osimhen only fit for the bench. Lecce had already secured Serie A safety, with Lameck Banda, Mohamed Kaba and Kastriot Dermaku out.


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It was Lecce who had the first chance on nine minutes when Patrick Dorgu’s angled drive clipped the base of the far post with Alex Meret well beaten.

Kvicha Kvaratskhelia had several attempts either off target or charged down, and Giovanni Simeone fired over the bar, while Cholito’s heavy first touch let him down on a well-worked team move.

Lecce remained dangerous on the counter, a Berisha effort deflected just wide, while Valentin Gendrey bravely charged down a Kvaratskhelia scorcher with his head.

Cyril Ngonge came on for the restart and immediately his curler had to be fingertipped over the bar by Wladimiro Falcone.

The goalkeeper was also alert on Kvaratskhelia, then Jens Cajuste saw his deflected angled drive off Gendrey roll slowly to bounce off the inside of the far post.

Giacomo Raspadori blasted over from a tricky angle, but Ngonge was unlucky to see his ferocious strike from outside the box thump the frame of the goal on 63 minutes.

Federico Baschirotto had to clear almost off the line from the Matias Olivera effort on a Giovanni Di Lorenzo cross.

It was surprisingly open, as Raspadori’s pull-back was just beyond Osimhen, then Lecce went on the counter and Roberto Piccoli failed to make contact with the Rafia assist.

Di Lorenzo has been linked with demanding a transfer this week, so was loudly booed in what could be his final time leaving the field in a Napoli jersey.

As so many times this season, the Napoli players were jeered off the pitch by their own fans at the Stadio Maradona.

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