Napoli continued their relentless march towards securing a second Serie A crown in three seasons with a gritty 1-0 win over Lecce at the Stadio Via del Mare, marking their fourth straight victory without conceding.
Antonio Conte’s side has been in imperious form lately, and that dominance was on full display once again in a fixture bearing major implications at both the summit and the foot of the league standings.
It looked like the visitors had made a lightning-fast start when Romelu Lukaku cleverly flicked in Matteo Politano’s low effort just two minutes in, but their celebrations were short-lived as the goal was ruled out for offside, much to Lecce’s relief.
That let-off didn’t last long, however. Napoli eventually broke through in the 24th minute via a sensational free-kick from Giacomo Raspadori, who earned the set-piece himself right on the edge of the area.
The forward marked his return to the starting XI—his first since the March international break, with a stunning strike that could prove decisive in the title chase.
Lecce, still deep in their relegation struggle, nearly responded through Kialonga Gaspar, whose thumping header rattled the crossbar and kept the home fans on the edge of their seats.
Despite a strong spell from Lecce, Napoli weathered the storm and nearly doubled their advantage before halftime. Raspadori again found himself in a great position after a slick assist from Scott McTominay but dragged his shot wide.
The second half began with renewed energy from the Giallorossi after a double substitution, particularly through Porir Johann Helgason, who made a notable impact.
The Icelandic midfielder forced a sharp save from Alex Meret with a deflected effort and later tried his luck from a tight angle with a cheeky free-kick that hit the side-netting.
Napoli, sensing the danger, tightened their grip on the game and expertly controlled the tempo to ensure a hard-fought win that temporarily pushes them six points clear of reigning champions Inter Milan.
As for Lecce, their woes continued, with this latest defeat stretching their winless run to 12 games. A fourth straight scoreless head-to-head outing leaves them teetering just one point above the relegation zone.
