Serie A

Football Italia

·4 February 2024

Serie A | Napoli 2-1 Verona: Kvaratskhelia comeback king

Verona had taken the lead, but Cyril Ngonge equalised against his former club before a magnificent Kvicha Kvaratskhelia curler won it for Napoli.

The Partenopei had Kvaratskhelia and Giovanni Simeone back from suspension, along with Andre Frank Zambo Anguissa, but Piotr Zielinski joined Alex Meret and Mathias Olivera on the treatment table, with Victor Osimhen at the Africa Cup of Nations. Above all, Walter Mazzarri scrapped the 3-4-3 experiment. Hellas were transformed over the winter window, including the sale of Cyril Ngonge to Napoli, signing 10 new players and releasing 16.

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Kvaratskhelia had penalty appeals waved away, as he seemed to already be going down before Juan Cabal’s tackle, then forced a couple of tough Lorenzo Montipò saves with a scorcher and a low volley.

Verona had a dangerous counter-attack that Michael Folorunsho turned wide with a back-heel flick, then Darko Lazovic curled off target too.

Mario Rui was booked straight after the restart and will therefore be suspended for the clash with Milan.

Diego Coppola failed to flick the Ondrej Duda free kick on target at the back post, then Pierluigi Gollini had to fingertip a sudden Lazovic scorcher round the upright and Cabal wasted the header on the resulting corner.

Stanislav Lobotka’s inspired pass sent Juan Jesus down the left, rolling across for Simeone to force a desperate reaction save from four yards.

Folorunsho saw his acrobatic overhead kick go off target and Kvaratskhelia flashed an angled drive across the face of goal.

Ondrej Duda’s free kick only grazed the head of Pawel Dawidowicz and Verona took the lead when a Tomas Suslov set play found Coppola from six yards, who headed it onto his own shoulder and that gave it a strange loop into the far top corner.

Napoli go behind at home to Verona 😳 The defending Serie A champions are currently 9th in the league 📉 📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/rUPfVDXARf — Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) February 4, 2024

Montipò made a fantastic double save on Pasquale Mazzocchi’s strike and the Jesper Lindstrom follow-up, but he was beaten moments later by a former teammate.

Mazzocchi sent Lindstrom down the left, a dummy sent a defender to ground and he rolled across for Ngonge to score with the aid of a deflection against the club he only left last month.

The goalscorer Cyril Ngonge was signed from Verona only a few weeks ago 🤐 — Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) February 4, 2024

Anguissa fired inches wide from distance, then Simeone twice failed to beat Montipò one-on-one when sent clear by Kvaratskhelia.

Napoli did turn it around when the Georgian controlled from Mazzocchi and immediately curled a remote-controlled right-foot finish into the far top corner from outside the D.