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Higuain, Callejon down Roma in Napoli win

Source: AFP | November 2, 2014, Sunday | Online Edition

A spectacular early strike from Gonzalo Higuain and a late Jose Callejon goal handed Napoli a precious 2-0 win over title challengers Roma that moved Rafael Benitez's men up to third in Serie A Saturday.

The sides met at Napoli's San Paolo stadium for the first time since the death of 31-year-old Ciro Esposito, a Napoli fan who was killed by a hardline Roma 'ultra' on the fringes of the Italian Cup final last May.

Approximately 600 police were deployed in and around the stadium but the drama was played out exclusively on the pitch as Napoli dominated from the outset to rubber-stamp their return to form following a difficult start to the season.

"I've said for a long time we need to take it one game at a time. I don't deserve the credit for this win, it's all down to the players," Benitez told Sky Sport.

In front of a half-empty stadium, following a decision to ban travelling supporters from the capital and surrounding regions, Higuain gave the hosts a three-minute lead with an acrobatic bicycle kick that beat Roma 'keeper Morgan De Sanctis from inside the area.

Lorenzo Insigne's long-distance drive was deflected and as it fell in front of Higuain and the striker turned on the volley to beat the Roma 'keeper from 10 yards.

It was the Argentinian's fifth goal inside a week, Higuain having scored a hat-trick last weekend in a 6-2 win over Verona and one from the penalty spot in a 1-1 draw away to Atalanta in midweek.

Higuain set up Callejon for Napoli's second five minutes from time to rubber-stamp their return to form following a dismal start to the campaign.

"Napoli were the strongest. The best team won," said Roma coach Rudi Garcia, whose side are now in danger of dropping three points behind Juventus when the leaders meet Empoli later Saturday.

"At the start we got our approach all wrong. In the first half we hardly won any of our tackles."

Garcia admitted Roma had suffered a "mental problem".

"It's the first time it's happened, but we have to make sure it's the last time," he added.

Napoli should have put the match to bed well before the half-time whistle.

Insigne was in fine form, the diminutive striker seeing two great chances go amiss including one which De Sanctis, who shipped seven goals in a recent 7-1 Champions League drubbing by Bayern Munich, tipped round the post.

Callejon was next to test De Sanctis, the Spaniard unleashing a drive that rattled the Roma crossbar.

The hosts spurned further chances just before half-time when Callejon turned Marek Hamsik's assist wide of the upright.

Insigne then set up Higuain, only for De Sanctis to push the ball to safety before the striker could get his shot away and Hamsik fired the follow-up off the crossbar.

Apart from two half-chances by Alessandro Florenzi just before the hour, Roma struggled to pose any real threat after the restart, prompting Garcia to replace the right winger and captain Francesco Totti with Juan Iturbe and Mattia Destro on 65 minutes.

However their arrival failed to spark Roma who found themselves facing just their second defeat of the campaign when Radja Nainggolan was dispossessed in midfield by Walter Gargano.

Higuain, who had failed to find the net in Napoli's opening eight league games, collected and threaded a perfect ball through for Callejon to beat De Sanctis from the edge of the area first-time for Napoli's second five minutes from time.

It was Callejon's eighth goal of the campaign and left the Spaniard top of the league scoring charts.

Napoli's fifth win in 10 games means they move up to third place only four points behind leaders Juventus and second-placed Roma.

Juventus can pull clear of Roma with a win later Saturday at Empoli, while Napoli could be overtaken by four teams who sit only two points adrift and are yet to play.

Lazio, Milan, Sampdoria and Udinese all sit on 16 points and face Cagliari, Palermo, Fiorentina and Genoa respectively this weekend.

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