Having put the disappointment of back-to-back defeats behind them with a crucial win over Inter last time out, Napoli looked full of confidence in the early stages against Lecce. Gli Azzurri dominated possession in the opening quarter-hour, and should’ve taken the lead when Mathías Olivera directed a close-range header wastefully wide of the target.
After a cagey start, Lecce gradually grew into the contest as Medon Berisha dragged a promising opportunity wide from the edge of the box, while at the other end, Olivera saw an angled effort thwarted by Wladimiro Falcone.
Both sides continued to search for a breakthrough before half-time, but clear-cut openings were in short supply, with Francesco Camarda firing over on the turn for the hosts.
Determined to end a six-game winless run in head-to-heads (D2, L4), the Salentians came flying out of the blocks at the start of the second period, and were given a golden opportunity to break the deadlock when Juan Jesus was harshly penalised for handball in the box. Camarda assumed the responsibility from the spot, but the 17-year-old’s penalty was superbly saved by Vanja Milinkovic-Savic to keep the scores level heading into the final half-hour.
Napoli made the most of that reprieve, with Antonio Conte’s men taking the lead in the 69th minute as David Neres’ inviting free-kick was glanced into the far corner by Anguissa for the Cameroonian’s fourth Serie A goal of the season.
Lecce tried to regather themselves in pursuit of a late response, but despite plenty of possession in the final third, the visitors’ rearguard held firm under pressure, securing a sixth successive head-to-head away triumph.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Frank Anguissa (Napoli)