NAPLES, ITALY — Third-placed Napoli edged past relegation-threatened Fiorentina 2-1 at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, with goals from Antonio Vergara and Miguel Gutiérrez securing three precious points that extended the Partenopei's advantage over their struggling opponents to 25 points in the Serie A standings. The victory moves Napoli to 34 points from 16 matches, while Fiorentina's misery continues with the Viola languishing in last place on just nine points.
The home side wasted little time asserting their dominance. Vergara opened the scoring in the 11th minute with a sublime left-footed strike from outside the box, finding the bottom right corner after receiving a pass from goalkeeper Alex Meret. The early breakthrough set the tone for what would be a commanding first-half display from Antonio Conte's men, who controlled 53.1% of possession and peppered David de Gea's goal with regularity.
Napoli's attacking intent was evident throughout the opening period, with the hosts registering 19 shots to Fiorentina's 15 by the final whistle. The Partenopei's pressure nearly yielded a second goal on multiple occasions before halftime, but De Gea stood firm between the posts for the visitors, beginning what would become a heroic individual performance from the Spanish veteran.
The second half began with Napoli picking up where they left off. Just four minutes after the restart, Gutiérrez doubled the advantage with a clinical left-footed finish from the right side of the box, guiding the ball into the bottom left corner after combining brilliantly with Vergara. The 49th-minute strike appeared to have put the match beyond Fiorentina's reach, with the home crowd sensing a comfortable afternoon ahead.
However, Raffaele Palladino's side refused to surrender meekly. Manor Solomon breathed life into Fiorentina's fading hopes in the 57th minute, firing a right-footed shot from the right side of the box into the centre of the goal. The Israeli winger's strike came moments after Roberto Piccoli had forced a smart save from Meret, with Dodô's through ball creating the initial danger. Solomon's goal ignited a spirited Fiorentina response, with the visitors suddenly believing an unlikely comeback might be possible.
The final half-hour descended into a tense affair as Fiorentina threw bodies forward in search of an equalizer. De Gea continued his outstanding display, denying Rasmus Højlund twice in quick succession. The Danish striker first saw his left-footed effort from the left side of the box smothered by De Gea in the 60th minute, with Leonardo Spinazzola providing the assist. Seven minutes later, Højlund was thwarted again when his right-footed shot from the centre of the box was saved, this time after Eljif Elmas had carved open the Fiorentina defense.
The statistics painted a picture of Napoli's territorial superiority, though the narrow margin on the scoreboard told a different story. The home side's six shots on target from 19 attempts highlighted a lack of clinical finishing, while Fiorentina managed five efforts on goal from their 15 shots. The evenly-contested possession battle at 53.1%-46.9% in Napoli's favor belied the hosts' dominance in dangerous areas, with both teams earning four corners apiece in a surprisingly balanced set-piece count.
Fiorentina's desperation grew as the clock ticked down. Palladino introduced fresh legs, bringing on Moise Kean, Luca Ranieri, and Fabiano Parisi in the 70th minute, hoping the triple substitution would spark an equalizer. Kean immediately made his presence felt, forcing Meret into a fine save in the 76th minute with a right-footed shot from the right side of the box, with Albert Gudmundsson threading the through ball.
The closing stages saw Napoli retreat into a defensive shell, content to protect their slender advantage. Scott McTominay tested De Gea from distance in the 87th minute, but the former Manchester United goalkeeper was equal to the task, pushing the right-footed effort to safety. Fiorentina's final throw of the dice came in stoppage time when Kean's right-footed attempt from the right side of the box sailed narrowly wide, while Piccoli's header from a Rolando Mandragora cross missed the target in the 90th minute.
The disciplinary count remained relatively clean, with both sides receiving one yellow card each in a match that saw Napoli commit 21 fouls to Fiorentina's 13. Stanislav Lobotka anchored Napoli's midfield with his typical composure, while Alessandro Buongiorno and Juan Jesus marshaled the backline effectively despite some nervy moments late on. For Fiorentina, Niccolò Fagioli battled tirelessly in midfield, winning several crucial free kicks, but the visitors lacked the quality in the final third to truly trouble Meret beyond Solomon's well-taken goal.
Conte's decision to withdraw Højlund for Romelu Lukaku in the 91st minute underlined Napoli's determination to see out the victory, with the Belgian's physical presence helping to run down the clock. Antonio Vergara's injury scare in the 84th minute caused concern, though the goalscorer was able to continue before eventually being replaced by Giovane in the dying moments.
The three points keep Napoli firmly in the Champions League qualification places, with their 34-point haul from 16 matches representing an impressive return. Their goal difference of +11 reflects a side capable of both scoring freely and maintaining defensive solidity when required. For Fiorentina, the defeat extends their woeful run to just one victory from 17 league matches, with their goal difference of -11 highlighting the scale of the challenge facing Palladino as he attempts to steer the club away from relegation danger.
The win positions Napoli well ahead of their trip to Genoa on February 8, while Fiorentina will seek redemption when they host Torino on the same day, desperately needing points to climb off the foot of the table.