Fabián Ruiz’s strike separated the two sides as Napoli handed Ivan Juric’s men their first league defeat since March.
With Juventus losing their game on Friday evening, Napoli had a chance to extend the gap of points between the third and the fourth place in the standings. But initially, it felts as if Napoli lacked the impetus.
David Ospina saved Andrea Belotti’s towering header in what turned out to be the home team’s first feasible opportunity in the first half. Kalidou Koulibaly and Bremer came on top with their dominant defensive displays as a halfhearted first half saw a goalless scoreline.
In the second half, the affair got a bit hostile. Referee Alessandro Prontera preferred using the yellow card, with a few from both sides getting booked in quick succession. Armando Izzo’s foul on Dries Mertens resulted in a penalty for the visitors. But Etrit Berisha made an outstanding save to deny Lorenzo Insigne’s spot-kick.
Fabián Ruiz pounced on the mistake by Pobega in the midfield before smashing the nets with a thunderous left-footed strike. A slight deflection on the ball caught Berisha by surprise, with the Spaniard breaking the deadlock and adding another belter to his name. It was enough to seal the deal for Napoli, with the Azzurri going four points clear of Juventus.
Here are the player ratings from Napoli’s narrow triumph over Torino:
Torino (5-4-1): Berisha (6.5); Singo (6), Izzo (6), Bremer (6.5), Rodríguez (6), Vojvoda (6.5); Ricci (6), Mandragora (6.5), Praet (6), Brekalo (5.5); Belotti (6)
Substitutes: Linetty (6), Ansaldi (5.5), Pobega (4), Djidji (5.5), Pellegri (N/A)
Napoli (4-2-3-1): Ospina (6.5); Di Lorenzo (6.5), Rrahmani (5.5), Koulibaly (7), Mário Rui (6); Anguissa (6.5), Fabián Ruiz (8); Lozano (6), Mertens (6.5), Insigne (3); Osimhen (5.5)
Substitutes: Politano (6), Zielinski (6), Lobotka (6), Elmas (N/A), Petagna (N/A)
