Fiorentina hold Napoli to a goalless draw

 

Fiorentina have halted the 100 percent start of Napoli after they played 0-0 in their Week 3 Serie A clash at the Artemio Franchi.

Napoli would have secured an important win through Hirving Lozano. The Mexican striker missed a sitter set up by Kvicha Kvaratskhelia, and there was a tough save on Giacomo Raspadori.

Now that Fiorentina have held Napoli to a goalless draw, their winning run has now been halted as the Partenopei won both matches coming into Week 3. The Naples club had scored nine goals and conceded two going into the clash.

This has made their confidence to be sky-high, especially at a time when Kvicha Kvaratskhelia and Victor Osimhen are in their best form.

The Viola were also coming into the game on the back of Thursday’s 2-1 aggregate win over FC Twente that qualified them for the Conference League.

With a surprise start for new buy Antonin Barak, they were able to hold the in-form visitors as both teams shared the spills.

Osihmen was also stopped from extending his Serie A tally by Nikola Milenkovic, who made a crucial block from six yards after the Nigerian shot from the Piotr Zielinski pull-back. Dodo also prevented Kvicha Kvaratskhelia from nodding in a Chucky Lozano cross at the back post.

The hosts also had their moment with a double chance on 24 minutes. Alex Meret was lucky not to be punished for spilling Riccardo Sottil snapshot, as Giacomo Bonaventura’s follow-up went inches wide.

Napoli could also blame themselves for not getting maximum points here after Sottil was greedy with a scuffed finish when he should’ve chosen the pass. Giovanni Di Lorenzo’s header was also deflected.

Osimhen thought he had finally opened the goal account for the visitors when he had the ball in the net on 43 minutes, but it was ruled offside after Pierluigi Gollini pushed a Zielinski cross into the path of Lozano, and it came back to the striker.

The Nigerian almost punished Viola later as he almost pounced on a horrible Lucas Martinez Quarta back-pass.

Lozano had another opportunity to put Napoli in front after the restart when found by a Kvaratskhelia cross at the back post but incredibly turned the free header wide.

Meret again stopped an angled drive from Sottil, while Fiorentina had another huge chance through Barak from a counter-attack but the ex-Verona man drilling inches wide of the near post.

Written by: Oladipupo Mojeed