Napoli s Victor Osimhen celebrates after scoring his side s third goal during the Serie A soccer match between Napoli and Bologna, at the Diego Armando Maradona stadium in Naples, Italy, Sunday, Oct. 16, 2022. AP
Napoli had to come from behind, and goals from Juan Jesus and Hirving Lozano either side of the break appeared to have turned the match around. But Musa Barrow leveled for Bologna before Osimhen scored what was to prove the winner.
Napoli moved two points clear of second-place Atalanta at the top of the table. Lazio and Udinese are five points below Napoli after playing out a 0-0 draw. Defending champion AC Milan can move into third with a win at lowly Hellas Verona later.
Napoli was brimming with confidence after it qualified for the last 16 of the Champions League midweek. It had scored 14 goals in its past three matches in all competitions.
But it was Bologna which took the lead four minutes before the interval when Andrea Cambiaso ran onto a through ball and pulled it back for Joshua Zirkzee to drill into the back of the net.
Napoli leveled on the stroke of halftime as a corner hit Bologna defender Gary Medel on the shin and went into the path of Jesus to fire the ball home.
Napoli coach Luciano Spalletti brought on Lozano and Osimhen at the break and they were to have an immediate impact.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia cut inside the area from the left and bamboozled his way past two players before seeing his shot parried by Lukasz Skorupski. Osimhen couldn't get on the rebound but Lozano did with a shot from a tight angle.
However, Napoli's lead only lasted two minutes before goalkeeper Alex Meret misjudged Barrow's shot and allowed it to squirm out of his hands.
Kvaratskhelia set up the winner in the 69th with a through ball for Osimhen to run onto and fire past Skorupski.
Immobile injured
Lazio badly missed Ciro Immobile after the forward went off injured against Udinese.
Both sides failed to find the back of the net, although Udinese did hit the crossbar twice.
Lazio had won its previous four Serie A matches, scoring 14 goals and conceding none, while Udinese had seen its run of six straight wins ended in a 2-2 draw against Atalanta last week.
Lazio's chances of getting something from the match diminished when captain and top goalscorer Immobile limped off looking distraught and clutching his left thigh in the 29th minute.
Lazar Samardzic had already sent a shot crashing off the woodwork in the 13th and Udinese rattled the crossbar again with five minutes remaining through Gerard Deulofeu.
MARTINEZ IS BACK
After ending his goal drought against Barcelona midweek, Lautaro Martinez scored again to help Inter Milan beat Salernitana 2-0.
Martinez hadn't scored for eight matches prior to the 3-3 draw at Barcelona that put Inter on the verge of qualifying for the last 16 of the Champions League.
The Inter forward netted again in the 14th minute on Sunday. Nicolo Barella had provided the assist and got himself on the scoresheet in the 58th to help secure the result that saw the Nerazzurri move up to seventh.
Also, Spezia drew 2-2 against Cremonese in a relegation fight.
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