Napoli brush aside lowly Crotone to go third in Serie A

Updated: May 17, 2023, 05:11 am

Napoli won 4-0 for the second successive league game as they brushed aside lowly Crotone with a convincing performance on Sunday to move into third place in Serie A.

Lorenzo Insigne, Hirving Lozano, Diego Demme and Andrea Petagna shared the goals for Gennaro Gattuso's side, who have 20 points from 10 games and moved ahead of Juventus on goal difference.

After surviving an early scare when Simy headed over for the hosts, Napoli went ahead in the 31st minute with a typical Insigne goal.

Piotr Zielinski got away from his marker and found the Napoli captain who scored with a curling shot into the far corner.

Bottom-of-the-table Crotone, who have only managed two points this season, were in more trouble in the 50th minute when Jacopo Petriccione was given a straight red card for a studs-up challenge on Demme.

Insigne also set up the second in the 58th minute as his cross found an unmarked Lozano and the Mexican known as Chucky had time and space to chest the ball down and volley home.

Demme added the third with an angled shot in the 76th minute from a Dries Mertens pass and the Belgian also set up Petagna for the fourth in the last minute.