ROME: Napoli had to settle for a 1-1 draw at home to Torino after Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s strike was cancelled out by substitute Antonio Sanabria’s spectacular overhead kick in Serie A on Friday as the champions’ revival stalled ahead of a Champions League showdown at Barcelona.
Napoli stay seventh on 44 points, seven behind Bologna in fourth, and their hopes of qualifying for the Champions League are fading.
Kvaratskhelia scored his 10th league goal of the season in the 61st minute by skilfully guiding home a cross from Mario Rui after missing several chances earlier in the match at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.
But three minutes later Sanabria equalised with a bicycle kick a minute after coming on, firing the ball into the roof of the net despite the efforts of goalkeeper Alex Meret.
“There is regret for the result, but I am satisfied with the performance,” said Napoli coach Francesco Calzona. “I reiterate that I am very happy with how the team is interpreting the games in the right way and results will come on this path.”
Napoli have been dogged by inconsistency but have stabilized since Calzona joined the club in February. They won their last two games, including a 2-1 win over Juventus, and Friday’s game was Calzona’s fifth without defeat. Napoli face Barca in Catalonia on Tuesday night with a spot in the quarter-finals of Europe’s top club competition up for grabs. The two sides are level at 1-1 following the first leg in Naples last month.
Torino, who were without their suspended coach Ivan Juric, are 10th on 38 points.
Published in Dawn, March 10th, 2024
