Bologna xi: Skorupski, Theate, Binks, Soumaoro, Viola, Hickey, Svanberg, Soriano, Di silvestri, Sansone, Arnautovic
Napoli xi: Meret, Di Lorenzo, Rrahmani, Juan Jesus, Rui, Ruiz, Lobotka, Zielinski, Lozano, Mertens, Elmas
Scorers: Lozano (20’, 46’)
Bologna 0 Napoli 2
Stability would be the word on Spalletti’s mind after a wild finish to their Coppa Italia exit which saw them lose 5-2 in extra time, but it also saw two sending offs and an injury to starting keeper Ospina. The starting eleven saw some rotation from the team against Sampdoria. With Lozano and Elmas coming in for Politano and Insigne and Meret in for Ospina. Bologna were also looking to find their high flying form from earlier in the season. Their squad was bolstered by the return of Aaron HIckey, the young Scotsman had impressed for Mihajlovic’s men and would be a creative outlet.
It would be Napoli who struck first. In the 20th minute, Elmas worked himself into some space on the left wing and fired a cross into the box, which found Lozano who coolly dispatched the ball into the back of the net.
Meret would be looking to impress the manager after losing the fight for the starting job to his Colombian senior. But when Arnoutovic found himself inside the box, the Italian shot stopper needed all his reflexes to make a sharp stop down to his right.
Ruiz would come so very close with a picturesque left foot strike from outside the box. The ball would cannon onto the post and out, much to the home sides relief.
At the end of the first half Napoli could be happy with their work so far. The away side looked firmly in control bar a few moments in which the hosts seemed to threaten.
They would press their advantage straight away in the second half. A well worked counter saw Fabian Ruiz sprung free of the Bologna offside trap, taking the ball down to the six yard box before pulling it back to Lozano; who dummied his shot to send Skorupski to the curb before passing the ball into an open net.
The in-form Mexican was gaining confidence as seen by his long range strike which the keeper needed to save. Napoli were starting to cruise in the match.
Hickey showed some glimmer of hope for his side, after Napoli gave up the ball deep in their own half the ball m ade its way to Hickey who shot directly at Meret.
In the 71st minute, fanso of a Napoli persuasion will be very happy to finally see the return of star striker Oshimen. The Super Eagle had been out for 11 games after a face fracture, the consequences meant he had to don a kevlar mask.
Bologna saw their best opportunity go to waste. A smart ball from Svanberg scythed its way through the Napoli defence into the box for the oncoming Dominguez . But the midfielder could only agonizingly fire it over.. But that chance proved that Bologna had the flair to complicate things.
The latter stages of the game saw a member of Napoli’s staff sent off for a bizarre act of throwing an extra ball onto the pitch seemingly to disrupt play.
Oshimen saw his first real chance of the game. Running onto an excellent outside of the boot pass from Demme, he managed to dribble past Skorupski but couldn’t manage to fire on target. The striker claimed it was due to outside interference.
In the 91st minute, Bologna won a free kick just outside the box. But tonight just wouldnt be their night. The freekick was excellently taken by Svanberg which looped over the wall but just onto the post. Meret was only a bystander.
But that would be all for the match as the Ref blew the final whistle. Tonight was a brilliant one for Napoli, not only had the Partenopei captured ll 3 points, but their title competitors Milan had crumbled to Spezia, taking them within 2 points off 2nd. A good night all round. Onto Salernitana!