Napoli seized the Serie A top spot on Saturday with a commanding 3-0 victory over Fiorentina, taking advantage of their title rivals’ involvement in the Italian Super Cup.
Antonio Conte’s men now lead the standings by three points, courtesy of a sensational solo effort by David Neres in the 29th minute, a Romelu Lukaku penalty shortly after the break, and a composed finish by Scott McTominay in the 68th minute.
This triumph marked Napoli’s fourth consecutive league win, reinforcing their bid for a fourth Scudetto after last season’s disappointing title defence. However, their rivals hold games in hand—Atalanta trail by three points with a match to spare, while reigning champions Inter Milan, four points behind, have two games in hand.
Inter and Atalanta were absent from league action due to their participation in the Super Cup, with Inter set to face AC Milan in the final on Monday in Saudi Arabia after defeating Atalanta in the semi-finals. Atalanta will host Juventus on 14 January, while Inter welcome Bologna the following day.
Fiorentina, who sit sixth in the table, suffered their third defeat in four matches, leaving them 12 points adrift of the top. The hosts were incensed after Moise Kean’s impressive goal was disallowed for handball, moments after Neres dazzled with a slaloming run and emphatic finish past David de Gea.
Neres was part of an unconventional Napoli attacking trio alongside full-back Leonardo Spinazzola, as injuries to Matteo Politano and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia forced Conte to reshuffle his frontline.
Elsewhere in Serie A, Venezia remained second-from-bottom following a 1-1 home draw with Empoli, while Verona aimed to climb out of the relegation zone in their clash with Udinese later that evening.