Napoli beat Monza 4-1 as Hojlund, Politano, Marin and De Bruyne score

A reply after a draw with Roma and a defeat at Venezia

Napoli returned to winning on Wednesday, 28 October, beating Monza 4-1 at the Brianteo in Serie A's ninth round. The result ended a run that had included a draw with Roma and a defeat at Venezia. Allegri followed the match from the stands, where he sat out a suspension. Hojlund opened the scoring in the 10th minute, ending a goal drought of about six weeks for the striker, with Di Lorenzo providing the assist. Monza kept pressing, and Varela levelled with a header in the 43rd minute from a Robinson cross, his eighth league goal in eight matches.

Politano, Marin and De Bruyne pull Napoli clear

Napoli came out after the interval quickly. Politano put them back in front with a strike from the right that went under the legs of Lucchesi and past the Monza keeper, Tornqvist. A mistake by Birindelli then gave Politano the ball for a chance to double the lead, but he was dispossessed before he could shoot. Monza created a chance of their own that Milinkovic-Savic kept out with a diving save, and Hojlund came close to a second goal before Tornqvist made a strong stop. Marin made it 3-1 from a Politano assist on a corner, and De Bruyne, who came on for Anguissa, completed the scoring. Milinkovic-Savic, speaking to Sky Sport, stressed the need to focus on one game at a time.

“You have to think match by match. The more wins you get, the more enthusiasm there is.”

Lobotka's injury and the run of fixtures ahead

Lobotka left the pitch on a stretcher in the 17th minute after a challenge with Mangas, with his hands over his face. The first assessment points to a serious sprain of his right ankle, and tests were due on 29 October. Assistant coach Marco Landucci, also speaking to Sky Sport, said the team had to avoid the goals it keeps conceding, and that work on that was under way. He added that McTominay had been out for a month and then needed another month to recover, while Anguissa had also had problems. Napoli now face three demanding games, against Juventus, Porto and Lazio.

“We grew in the second half, and the 2-1 gave us confidence. We closed well, it was important to win, and now we prepare for the next one.”

Table position

Napoli now have 14 points, sixth in the table and 11 points behind the leaders. Juventus, also on 14 points, lost 2-0 at Genoa, where Ehizibue scored the first goal and Baldanzi set it up. Napoli sit six points off fourth place, and the Juventus match in Turin on Sunday, 1 November, is the next big test for both sides.