Napoli 3 - 0 Bologna: Impeccable Insigne leads Napoli back to top spot

Lorenzo Insigne struck twice from 12 yards as an irresistible Napoli side cruised to the top of Serie A (SA) with a comfortable 3-0 win over Bologna, extending their unbeaten run at home to 16 matches against the side from Northern Italy. 

Sporting their special-edition Halloween kit, Napoli wasted no time in spinning a web around the Bologna defence. Having gone close moments before, Fabián Ruiz curled the opener beyond goalkeeper Łukasz Skorupski in style, extending the ‘Rossoblù’ run without a clean sheet against ‘Gli Azzurri’ to 17 consecutive matches.

Playing in the ground renamed the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona at the back-end of last year, it turned out to be the hand of Gary Medel that would cost Bologna a second just before the break. The ball struck the Chilean defender’s arm after he mistimed his jump and following a lengthy VAR check, Marco Serra pointed to the spot. 

Lorenzo Insigne had already missed three penalties this season, but the Napoli captain made no mistake from 12 yards this time, rifling home to give the title hopefuls a seemingly unassailable HT advantage.

Having lost six of their previous seven visits to Naples, Bologna’s task was always going to be a difficult one, but not even talisman Musa Barrow was able to inspire a lacklustre ‘‘Rossoblù’ side. The promising Italian had mustered six goal contributions in his previous four matches and a frustrated effort early in the second period represented a stuttering evening for the visitors. 

Napoli were targeting a return to the SA summit and they were able to add to their lead from the spot once again just after the hour-mark. Ibrahima Mbaye was the Bologna culprit this time, bundling down Victor Osimhen before Insigne replicated his first-half effort to score his second and the hosts’ third.

Bologna felt aggrieved to have been denied a penalty late on themselves, yet any consolation wouldn’t have threatened to change the result. Napoli are now well and truly dreaming of a first scudetto since 1989-90.