What happens when you take two counter-attacking teams and place them on a sunny pitch where the grass has grown in, green and lovely? You get a fun, open match with plenty of chances. Ok, it probably wasn't as fun for the Parma supporters, who saw their team play some decent football, only to falter at the final finish and wind up losing 3-1 to Napoli.
The match started off on a bright note for the home side. Marek Hamsik sent through a perfectly weighted pass for Goran Pandev to run on to, but Parma goalkeeper Antonio Mirante panicked, running out to tackle the Napoli forward. The referee quickly pointed to the spot, and Edinson Cavani converted cooly.
Alas, that was about the last thing El Matador did well this afternoon, as his finish was sorely lacking. Hamsik more than made up for it with an almost flawless performance, showing off his excellent passing and setting up Pandev for the second, a tap-in from close range.
As seems inevitable for the partenopei, they got a little sloppy at the back, and Parma took advantage. There was really nothing that could be done about Marco Parolo's first goal in the gialloblu kit, however -- he got on the end of a cross from Sotiris Ninis, his header arching up and drifting over the head of Morgan De Sanctis. They very nearly got an equaliser just after, but Daniele Galloppa's shot went just wide.
It was Napoli that had the final word, however, and it was Lorenzo Insigne with a point to prove. Back on the bench after Pandev's return to the team, the youngster came on with fifteen minutes to go, replacing Cavani. He grabbed his first Serie A goal just a minute later, which might leave Walter Mazzarri wondering which forwards he'll be sending out next week.
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