Lucca gets first Napoli goal in 2-1 victory over Catanzaro

Lorenzo Lucca scored his first goal in the Napoli jersey, with Giacomo Raspadori also securing their friendly victory over Serie B side Catanzaro.

Antonio Conte surprised with some of his choices in their second pre-season test of the summer, using Raspadori, Noa Lang and David Neres in support of Lucca, with Kevin De Bruyne and Stanislav Lobotka in a two-man midfield.

It didn’t take long for Napoli to break the deadlock, as Raspadori met the Neres pull-back from the by-line after just five minutes.

Moments later it was 2-0, as Pigliacelli brought down Lucca, the ex-Udinese striker getting back on his feet to convert the penalty.

Sam Beukema got his first start for the club and almost scored, as he pounced on a deflected Raspadori effort and redirected it onto the upright from close range.

Lang drilled just wide and De Bruyne’s cheeky back-heel flick set up a chance for Lucca.

Catanzaro tested Alex Meret with Marco D’Alessandro and got one back after the restart thanks to Pietro Iemmello’s solo strike.

Simone Pontisso came close to an equaliser, just failing to get his head to a cross at the back stick, and then forced a save from Nikita Contini.

Pasquale Mazzocchi and Leonardo Spinazzola threatened too, but Antonio Vergara was denied by a Catanzaro goal-line clearance.

Romelu Lukaku did have the ball in the net, only for it to be disallowed over an earlier foul.

Napoli 2-1 Catanzaro

Raspadori 5 (N), Lucca pen 7 (N), Iemmello 49 (C)

Napoli: Meret (Contini 46); Di Lorenzo (Mazzocchi 46), Rrahmani (Juan Jesus 46), Beukema (Marianucci 46), Olivera (Spinazzola 46); Lobotka (Vergara 46), De Bruyne (Hasa 46); Neres (Zerbin 46), Raspadori (Saco 46), Lang (Zanoli 46); Lucca (Lukaku 46)