September 27, (THEWILL) – Napoli advanced to the Coppa Italia last 16 with a dominant 5-0 victory over Serie B side Palermo on Thursday. Winger Cyril Ngonge led the charge with two early goals that set the tone for the match.
Ngonge opened the scoring in the seventh minute with a left-footed shot that bounced in front of goalkeeper Salvatore Sirigu and found its way into the net. He doubled Napoli’s lead just five minutes later with another left-footed strike from a tight angle.
Juan Jesus added a third goal before half-time, heading in from a corner kick. Palermo’s hopes of a comeback were dashed when Aljosa Vasic received a straight red card in the 59th minute for dangerous play. David Neres scored Napoli’s fourth in the 70th minute after winning back possession and finishing calmly.
Substitute Scott McTominay completed the rout with his first touch, converting a pass from fellow substitute Romelu Lukaku in the 77th minute. The comprehensive win demonstrated the gulf in quality between the Serie A title contenders and their lower-division opponents.
Napoli will now look forward to the next round of the Coppa Italia as they continue their pursuit of domestic silverware in 2024. The victory also provides a boost to their confidence as they navigate the Serie A table.
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.