Napoli left the Monza with three points from a 4-1 win at the Brianteo in the ninth round of Serie A, but the cleanest story was Rasmus Højlund ending his eight-match goal drought and Matteo Politano turning the night in Napoli's favour. The bigger worry came early, though, when Stanislav Lobotka had to come off after 17 minutes and was sent for X-rays.
Politano's best night of the season
Politano was the sharpest player on the pitch. He scored in the 48th minute, set up Rafa Marín for a header in the 62nd, and finished with the top match rating at 8.74. His season numbers are tidy too, with two Serie A goals and three assists now on the board.
Højlund got the opener in the 10th minute and did what Napoli needed most, because the goal finally broke an eight-match drought in all competitions. He also posted a 7.71 rating, and his 3 Serie A goals this season now include the strike that settled the early nerves.
Lobotka's exit and Napoli's week ahead
The injury to Lobotka is the part Napoli will be watching most closely. He had already made nine Serie A appearances and logged 611 minutes this season, so losing him after 17 minutes was a real blow in the middle of the pitch.
Monza did find a way back through G. Varela in the 43rd minute, but Napoli pulled away after the break. Kevin De Bruyne came off the bench and scored in the 67th minute, and Napoli's response after half-time turned a close game into a comfortable one.
The result stands as a 4-1 win, not the 1-3 scoreline that appeared elsewhere, and Napoli's next three fixtures are away to Juventus, away to FC Porto, and home to Lazio.
Written by Daniel Hartley with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 2 outlets. How we work →
