Napoli moved another big step closer to winning their second Serie A title in three years, beating Lecce 1-0 at Stadio Via del Mare and keeping a clean sheet for the fourth match in a row.
Antonio Conte’s side have been in great form lately, and they kept it going in this match, which was important for both teams. Napoli thought they had taken the lead in the second minute when Romelu Lukaku cleverly flicked in Matteo Politano’s shot, but it was ruled offside. Even so, Lecce’s relief didn’t last long. In the 24th minute, Giacomo Raspadori smashed in a brilliant free-kick that he had won himself, making the most of his first start since before the March international break.
Lecce, who are fighting to avoid relegation, came close to equalising when Kialonga Gaspar’s strong header hit the crossbar. Napoli held firm during a spell of pressure and could have doubled their lead before half-time, but Raspadori pulled his shot wide after a smart pass from Scott McTominay.
Lecce looked better after making two changes at half-time, especially Þórir Jóhann Helgason. The Icelandic midfielder had a shot deflected and saved by Alex Meret, then later tried an ambitious free-kick that hit the side netting.
After that, Napoli controlled the game well and managed the match cleverly to secure an important win. This result, even after Inter’s win against Verona, leaves Napoli 3 points ahead of Inzaghi’s men at the top. As for Lecce, they are still without a win in 12 games and have now failed to score in their last four matches against Napoli. They sit just one point above the relegation zone.
