The two gamers who Antonio Conte wished greater than any others secured Napoli its second Serie A title in three years on Friday (May 23, 2025).
Scott McTominay scored with an acrobatic bicycle kick earlier than halftime and Romelu Lukaku doubled the lead with a solo objective after the break within the decisive 2-0 dwelling win over Cagliari.
Conte turned the primary coach to win the Italian championship with three completely different groups.
Napoli wanted solely to do the identical or higher than defending champion Inter Milan within the closing spherical of matches, so Inter’s 2-0 win at 10-man Como wasn’t sufficient for the Nerazzurri.
The outcomes meant Napoli completed Serie A one level forward of Inter.
The southern squad’s fourth Serie A title general capped a formidable turnaround after the Partenopei completed tenth throughout a dismal title protection final season.
Napoli’s Scott McTominay celebrates after scoring the opening objective through the Italian Serie A soccer match between Napoli and Cagliari on the Diego Maradona stadium in Naples, Italy, Friday, May 23, 2025.
| Photo Credit:
AP
“The one two years ago was one we were (expecting) for months, whereas this week we had so much anxiety, we couldn’t wait to get on the field and win this in front of our fans,” stated winger Matteo Politano, who offered the cross for McTominay’s objective.
Maradona led Napoli to its first two titles in 1987 and 1990. The 2023 workforce led by Victor Osimhen and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia clinched with 5 rounds to spare.
Inter was heading towards the title till McTominay went airborne to redirect a cross from Politano within the forty second minute for his twelfth objective this season after transferring from Manchester United.
Lukaku, who was signed from Chelsea in August, managed an extended vertical cross and dribbled by two defenders earlier than scoring within the 51st. It was his 14th objective to go along with his league-leading 10 assists.
Napoli coach Antonio Conte celebrates after profitable Serie A
| Photo Credit:
Reuters
Conte watched the match from the tribune after getting despatched off final weekend. But he went down to the pitch on the closing whistle and embraced Lukaku, with whom he additionally gained Serie A at Inter in 2021.
McTominay dropped to the pitch in tears when the match was carried out. Minutes later he was honored as Serie A participant of the season.
Napoli gamers held up indicators that learn “Again” that includes a “4” for the workforce’s fourth title.
Napoli followers started cheering and singing hours earlier than kickoff and erupted in celebration on the closing whistle — together with at jumbo screens that had been arrange in a number of of town’s central piazzas.
Cagliari was already certain of avoiding relegation however goalkeeper Alen Sherri was impressed in the beginning, denying Napoli on a number of events early on.
While Napoli gained by 16 factors two years in the past below Luciano Spalletti, this season was a duel with Inter just about all season. It was additionally sudden after Napoli went via three completely different coaches final season – Rudi Garcia, Walter Mazzarri and Francesco Calzona.
But Conte constructed one of the best protection in Serie A, and introduced in Lukaku and McTominay to play alongside holdovers from the 2023 workforce like captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo, goalkeeper Alex Meret and midfielder Stanislav Lobotka.
It additionally helped that Napoli didn’t play in Europe this season — maintaining the workforce more energizing for Serie A.
Defender Stefan de Vrij scored 20 minutes in for Inter, redirecting a nook kick with a bouncing header.
Como was lowered to 10 males when goalkeeper Pepe Reina was despatched off on the finish of the primary half for a foul on Mehdi Taremi. It was Reina’s closing recreation earlier than retiring.
Joaquín Correa added one other for Inter after the break in virtually the identical precise second that Lukaku scored for Napoli.
Inter, which can also be making ready for the Champions League closing in opposition to Paris Saint-Germain in eight days, rested most of its normal beginning lineup, together with high strikers Lautaro Martinez and Marcus Thuram.
Published – May 24, 2025 04:40 am IST
