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MOTD- AS Roma 2-0 Napoli

By on October 18, 2013

Serie A leaders Roma extended their lead at the top of the table as two Miralem Pjanic goals sunk second place Napoli in Rome. Rudi Garcia’s side were fortunate not to go behind on multiple occasions, yet they managed to score in both halves against a ten man Napoli.

Although Napoli had been previously undefeated this season, Rafa Benitez suffered his first league defeat since joining the Italian side, while Roma extended their 100% record. Roma began the match dominantly, with Gervinho lashing a twenty-yard shot wide, but as Francesco Totti limped off because of a muscle injury in the thirtieth minute things looked to be taking a sour turn for Garcia. Only four minutes later Goran Pandev should have put Napoli in front as a lovely flick put him in on goal down the middle. But the Macedonian hesitated before pulling the trigger from fifteen yards, allowing his low shot to be slowed by the palm of the outrushing Morgan De Sanctis. Daniele Di Rossi volleyed the ball off the line, yet the home side were again on the back foot as Lorenzo Insigne slammed a glaring chance off the post from seven yards.

But Roma somehow found themselves in front deep in first half stoppage time. Pablo Cannavaro sent Gervinho into orbit on the edge of the Napoli box, resulting in a free-kick and a booking. Pjanic stepped up to take the twenty-five yard free-kick, and curled an unstoppable shot over the wall and into the top right corner of the net.

Roma nearly doubled their lead seconds into the second period when Goklan Inler curled a fifteen yard shot onto the crossbar, but it took some luck for them to find second. Marco Borriello brought Cannavaro down inside the Napoli box while tussling with the World Cup winner in the seventy-first minute, yet the referee awarded a penalty and gave Cannavaro a second yellow for the forward’s convincing flop.

Pjanic slammed the spot-kick into the top right corner as Pepe Reina dived the wrong way, but Roma didn’t settle for two. Kevin Strootman fired a long range effort over the bar, as Napoli supporters, including the legendary Diego Maradona began to slowly filter out, yet Roma could not grab another goal and after two minutes of added time the match ended 2-0.
Man of the Match: Miralem Pjanic

About Alex Morgan

Alex Morgan, founder of Football Every Day, lives and breaths football from the West Coast of the United States in California. Aside from founding Football Every Day in January of 2013, Alex has also launched his own journalism career and hopes to help others do the same with FBED. He covers the San Jose Earthquakes as a beat reporter for QuakesTalk.com and his work has also been featured in the BBC's Match of the Day Magazine.