August 02, (THEWILL) – Napoli secured a 1-1 draw against Girona in a friendly match on Tuesday, with Giovanni Simeone saving the day for the Italian side.
Despite a reshuffled team, Napoli started the match strongly but suffered an early setback when a Leo Ostigard error allowed Girona’s Cristhian Stuani to score in the 13th minute. Simeone equalised for Napoli from the penalty spot after Michael Folorunsho was fouled, sending the game to penalties, which Napoli won thanks to Alex Meret’s two saves and successful conversions by Giacomo Raspadori, Andre Frank Zambo Anguissa, and Piotr Zielinski.
The match was an opportunity for Napoli coach, Rudi Garcia, to test out his squad ahead of the upcoming season. However, his plans were disrupted by the absence of Victor Osimhen, who was ruled out due to a slight muscular injury. Despite the setback, Napoli impressed with good attacking play.
Chucky Lozano started the match amid speculation of a potential transfer to LAFC. However, the Mexican international played the full 90 minutes, suggesting that the move has been abandoned.
After a closely contested match that ended in a 1-1 draw, the winner was decided on penalties. Meret proved to be the hero for Napoli, making two crucial saves to ensure victory. The match was a good opportunity for both sides to test out their players ahead of the new season, with Girona demonstrating some good defensive play and counter-attacking quality.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
