SSC Napoli on Monday pulled four points clear at the top of Serie A with a 5-0 hammering of Cagliari a day after champions Juventus’ game in Turin was snowed off.
Jose Callejon and Dries Mertens gave Maurizio Sarri’s side a comfortable two-goal lead at the break, with a goal from captain Marek Hamsik, a Lorenzo Insigne penalty and Mario Rui’s free-kick sealing a 10th straight league win.
Napoli are targeting a third Serie A title and a first since 1989-1990, with their sole focus now on the scudetto after their UEFA Europa League and Coppa Italia exits.
Photo: EPA
“It’s an important result,” Napoli forward Insigne said. “We are ahead, but it depends on us, we must always win. Juve never give up, but we have shown we have great character and a big heart. We’re playing every game as if it were a final. We hope it will pay off in the end.”
In Sardinia, Napoli dominated Cagliari — who are just five points above the relegation zone — as snow wreaked havoc on the Italian Peninsula.
Sunday’s Serie A game between champions Juventus and Atalanta BC in Turin was postponed because of blizzard-like conditions in northern Italy.
Napoli have 69 points from 26 matches, four points ahead of Juventus, who have a game in hand, with SS Lazio moving up to third after Sunday’s 3-0 win over US Sassuolo.
“I hope to get to 100 points, but for us it would be unknown territory, we don’t know if we can get there,” Sarri said.
“I told the lads that of the 12 games left, we have to win 11 and draw one,” he added, with Napoli’s next two games against AS Roma and Inter.
Cagliari gave a first start to North Korean forward Han Kwang-song, who has returned to the Mediterranean island from a loan spell at AC Perugia.
Brazilian Allan set up Callejon for the opener after 29 minutes and, three minutes before the break, Mertens finished off an Elseid Hysaj cross.
Cagliari also had their chances, but Leonardo Pavoletti was off target twice and Pepe Reina denied Han.
After halftime Napoli dominated with Hamsik getting the third on the hour mark for his sixth in the league this season.
Insigne then converted a penalty awarded after Leandro Castan handled in the penalty area, with Rui completing the rout with a free-kick, condemning Cagliari to their 15th defeat of the season.
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