January 13, (THEWILL) – Napoli extended their remarkable defensive record with their 12th Serie A clean sheet this season, defeating Hellas Verona 2-0 at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona. This achievement stands out among Europe’s top five leagues, where no other team has recorded more shutouts during the current campaign.
The league leaders entered the match under mounting pressure, with Inter Milan reducing the gap to a single point following their victory earlier in the day. Despite this context, Napoli maintained their composure from the opening minutes of the encounter.
Fortune favoured the home side when they broke the deadlock in the fifth minute. Giorgio Di Lorenzo’s powerful strike rebounded off the woodwork, striking goalkeeper Lorenzo Montipo before crossing the line. This early advantage set the tone for a dominant first-half display.
The hosts created multiple opportunities to increase their advantage before the interval. Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa missed a clear opportunity from close range, while Romelu Lukaku narrowly missed the target. Verona’s sole meaningful attempt came through Casper Tengstedt, whose header sailed over Alex Meret’s crossbar.
The second half maintained similar momentum, with Scott McTominay testing Montipo early on. Amir Rrahmani twice came close from Leonardo Spinazzola corner kicks – his first attempt required a goal-line clearance from Davide Faraoni, followed by a close-range header that went over the crossbar.
The crucial second goal arrived near the hour mark through Anguissa, who found the corner of the net with an impressive strike from distance. This victory strengthens Napoli’s position at the summit of Serie A, though their rivals maintain games in hand.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
