January 07, (THEWILL) – A disappointing Serie A campaign for defending champions Napoli continued on Sunday, with a resounding 3-0 defeat away at Torino – their seventh loss of the term so far. A first-half goal from Antonio Sanabria put the hosts in the ascendancy before Nikola Vlasic and defender Alessandro Buongiorno sealed the result after the break.
The loss leaves Napoli 20 points behind league leaders Inter Milan, having failed to score or pick up three points in their last four matches. Torino, meanwhile, moved within a point of Napoli in ninth position.
Things went from bad to worse for the visitors when substitute Pasquale Mazzocchi was dismissed less than three minutes into his debut – compounding a miserable afternoon.
Torino dictated proceedings and should have extended their lead further but profligate finishing and some stubborn resistance from Napoli keeper Pierluigi Gollini kept the score at 3-0.
It capped off a totally abysmal display from Walter Mazzarri’s defending champions, highlighting the continuation of a dismal season that he inherited from Rudi Garcia. In the absence of last season’s capocannoniere Victor Osimhen, Napoli will have to find a way to arrest the decline.
About the Author
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.
