Napoli may have found a new hero in Romelu Lukaku as the Belgian striker played a pivotal role in their resounding 4-0 victory over Cagliari on Sunday. Lukaku not only scored but also provided two assists, contributing significantly to Napoli’s third consecutive win in the Italian league.
Under the guidance of new coach Antonio Conte, Napoli is beginning to resemble the formidable team that clinched the league title in 2023, moving away from the struggles of the previous season. Lukaku’s reunion with Conte, after their successful tenure at Inter Milan where they secured the Serie A title in 2021, appears to be reigniting that winning formula.
“I strongly wanted Romelu, as I always have throughout my career, because we’re talking about an atypical player,” Conte remarked after the match. “He’s not yet at his top level but he’s a player who will become fundamental for us.”
Lukaku, who scored on his debut in the previous match, was given his first start for Napoli against Cagliari. Demonstrating his impact from the outset, he set up the opening goal in the 18th minute. After receiving a cutback from Matteo Politano, Lukaku rolled the ball across the area to Giovanni Di Lorenzo, whose deflected shot found the back of the net.
An unexpected interruption occurred in the first half when the game was suspended for around eight minutes due to crowd disturbances. Despite this, the match maintained its high tempo and entertainment value upon resumption.
Napoli’s goalkeeper, Alex Meret, delivered an outstanding performance to preserve the lead, making crucial saves against efforts from Roberto Piccoli, Sebastiano Luperto, and tipping a remarkable long-range strike from Razvan Marin onto the crossbar.
The advantage was doubled in the 66th minute when Khvicha Kvaratskhelia latched onto a precise through-ball from Lukaku and fired it into the bottom left corner. Just four minutes later, Kvaratskhelia capitalized on a mispass from Cagliari goalkeeper Simone Scuffet, quickly assisting Lukaku for a simple finish into the far bottom corner.
Alessandro Buongiorno sealed the emphatic win in stoppage time, netting his first goal since joining Napoli from Torino in the off-season.
This victory solidifies Napoli’s position as a formidable force in the league, with Conte’s leadership and Lukaku’s firepower hinting at a promising season ahead.
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Napoli might have found a new hero in Lukaku in 4-0 win at Cagliari
cgtn.com
