Let’s take a look at the player ratings of Napoli’s Europa League match against AZ Alkmaar that took place in San Paolo Stadium.
SSC Napoli wasn’t able to get the result they wanted for their Europa League opener in San Paolo against AZ Alkmaar. Gennaro Gattuso’s players wanted to get a positive start in the competition against a relatively accessible rival. The Dutch squad didn’t have many great names on the roster but they had the resolve to go after the result.
Gattuso decided to trust his two youngest forwards together for the first time. Hirving Lozano played next to Victor Osimhen on the attack led by Dries Mertens. The first half was filled by offensive mistakes made by Napoli, which came due to AZ Alkmaar’s defensive prowess. Gattuso’s men weren’t able to get past the Dutch defensive line in 90 minutes.
De Wit breaks Napoli’s lock.
Hirving Lozano wasn’t having his day, which led to Gattuso to take him out in order to give Lorenzo Insigne some minutes. Meanwhile, AZ Alkmaar’s tactical approach was quite simple. They only needed one chance to hurt Napoli and defend that result through their solid backline. The big moment came past the 12th minute in the second half.
De Wit finished a collective effort that took Napoli by surprise. With more than 30 minutes left on the clock, it was clear that the locals were going to struggle for the rest of the game. In the end, Gattuso’s squad wasn’t able to score any goals as they lost their opening match in the competition.
Player ratings
SSC Napoli: Meret (6), Maksimovic (6), Koulibaly (6), Hysaj (5), Di Lorenzo (6), Lobotka (5), Ruiz (6), Mertens (7), Politano (6), Lozano (5), Osimhen (7).
Bench: Insigne (6), Rui (6), Petagna (6), Demme (5), Bakayoko (5).
AZ Alkmaar: Bizot (7), Martins Indi (8), Svensson (9), Chatzidiakos (8), Wijndal (7), Sugawara (8), Midstjo (8), De Wit (9), Koopmeiners (8), Karlsson (8), Stengs (7).
Bench: Guomundsson (7), Leeuwin (5).
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