Napoli 5-1 Empoli: Dries Mertens nets hat-trick in with routine win

Napoli 5-1 Empoli: Dries Mertens nets hat-trick as Carlo Ancelotti’s men close gap to Juventus with routine win

  • Dries Mertens scored a hat-trick as Napoli trounced Empoli 5-1 on Friday night 
  • The Belgian was in immense goalscoring form and put the minnows to the sword
  • Lorenzo Insigne and Arkadiusz Milik also found the back of the net for the hosts
  • The result saw Carlo Ancelotti’s side narrow the gap to Serie A leaders Juventus

Dries Mertens scored a hat-trick as Napoli trounced Empoli 5-1 to narrow the gap to Serie A leaders Juventus to three points.

A rapid ninth-minute counter-attack saw Kalidou Koulibaly provide the final pass that Lorenzo Insigne collected and clipped beyond goalkeeper Ivan Provedel at Stadio San Paolo.

Empoli had a Luca Antonelli effort ruled out for offside before, in the 38th minute, Mertens dribbled into the box and unleashed an angled drive that stunned Provedel.

Dries Mertens scored a hat-trick as Napoli trounced Empoli 5-1 on Friday evening 

Dries Mertens scored a hat-trick as Napoli trounced Empoli 5-1 on Friday evening 

The Belgian was in inspired form at Stadio San Paolo and put the minnows to the sword

The Belgian was in inspired form at Stadio San Paolo and put the minnows to the sword

Francesco Caputo briefly made it a contest again when beating the offside trap and Orestis Karnezis to halve the deficit, but the irrepressible Mertens would reestablish Napoli’s two-goal lead.

This time he did not need to enter the penalty area, instead lofting a first-time strike over Provedel.

Empoli’s heads dropped and substitute Arkadiusz Milik added a fourth at the end of another fast break before Mertens claimed the match ball thanks to an assist from Insigne.

A ninth-minute counter-attack saw Kalidou Koulibaly pass for Lorenzo Insigne to score

A ninth-minute counter-attack saw Kalidou Koulibaly pass for Lorenzo Insigne to score

Empoli's heads dropped and substitute Arkadiusz Milik added a fourth at the end

Empoli’s heads dropped and substitute Arkadiusz Milik added a fourth at the end

MATCH FACTS AND SERIE A TABLE 

Napoli: Karnezis, Malcuit, Maksimovic, Koulibaly, Hysaj, Ruiz, Rog, Diawara, Zielinski, Mertens, Insigne.

Subs not used: Rui, Ounas, Hamsik, Fortunato D’Andrea, Ospina, Ghoulam, Albiol.

Goals: Insigne 9, Mertens 38, 64, 90+3, Milik 90

Booked: None

Empoli: Provedel, Di Lorenzo, Silvestre, Maietta, Antonelli, Bennacer, Acquah, Traore, Krunic, Ucan, Caputo.

Subs not used: Brighi, Veseli, Terracciano, Untersee, Capezzi, Marcjanik, Rasmussen, Mraz, Fulignati.

Goals: Caputo 58

Booked: Di Lorenzo, Bennacer

 

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