Despite the great anticipation surrounding this offensive encounter, the in-form Napoli strike force was easily overshadowed by the mighty Kalidou Koulibaly during their 0-0 draw against Roma at the Stadio San Paolo.
In what turned out to be a tactical struggle between the two sides, the Azzurri central defender led his defence expertly well and managed to suppress the Giallorossi attack throughout the arduous 90 minutes.
In stark comparison to the trail-blazing defender, Napoli’s strikers ultimately faltered during his intense Serie A clash, and Lorenzo Insigne’s wastefulness was equally matched by Gonzalo Higuain’s lack of awareness.
Napoli
Pepe Reina – 6
A surprisingly easy evening for the Spaniard against the Roman side, who were expected to offer considerably more up front. He did produce two important saves however, which ultimately defined his decent display.
Elseid Hysaj – 6
A slightly apprehensive performance from the former Empoli man, although his work-rate was impeccable and he was a constant presence down the right flank. His crossing was persistent, even if it did lack precision.
Raul Albiol – 6
Both Albiol and his defensive counterpart Koulibaly did an expert job in containing the Bosnian Edin Dzeko, and he will be pleased to have kept a clean sheet during such a vital match.
Kalidou Koulibaly – 7
The bruising defender was absolutely superb for the Partenopei, combining his solid defensive nature along with his improving ability to organise the Azzurri defence.
Faouzi Ghoulam – 6.5
A subdued first half from the rampant full-back, who swiftly altered his game-plan following the interval and provided some succulent crosses for his misfiring attack.
Allan – 6
The menacing midfielder may well have met his match during this fervent Serie A encounter, as Radja Nainggolan was just as bothersome in the centre of midfield. His unforgiving presence was still noticable during the match, although his influence was slightly diluted due to his impressive adversary.
Jorginho – 5.5
The 23-year-old was caught out during this tactical minefield of a match, as Miralem Pjanic followed the player’s tracks throughout. He subsequently struggled to find the essential space upon the pitch and failed to make a significant impact for Maurizio Sarri’s men.
Marek Hamsik – 6.5
The most inspirational offensive player amongst the Napoli side, who constantly aimed to seek out his his attacking teammates and provide them with the killer ball.
Jose Callejon – 5.5
The Spaniard was monitored well by Lucas Digne during the game and the winger ultimately lacked the movement or awareness to escape his marker. A slightly static display and never really linked up with his fellow strikers.
Lorenzo Insigne – 5.5
The native Neapolitan tried to too hard during this wasteful display and his desire to get on the scoresheet ultimately hampered his side’s chances of obtaining the victory. On numerous occasions, Insigne wrongfully opted to shoot rather than cross, much to the frustration of his awaiting attackers.
Gonzalo Higuain – 5.5
Was a victim of Insigne’s selfishness and did lack service during the match. However his movement was not up to his usual best, which obviously contributed to his failure to create clear goalscoring chances.
Substitutes
Dries Mertens – 6.5
Following his second half arrival, the Belgian immediately tried to stamp his authority upon the game and directed his play straight towards the opposition goalmouth. His intricate play very nearly led to a winner in the dying minutes, although his swerving shot was saved well by the Roma goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny.
nguon: gazzettaworld.gazzetta
No comments:
Post a Comment