Higuain and Napoli Edge Fiorentina: Winners and Losers from Serie A Game

Napoli grinded out a 1-0 win over Fiorentina at the Stadio Artemio Franchi. Gonzalo Higuain broke the deadlock in the 61st minute to secure the three points for the away side.

“Winning here is not easy, but we achieved it and must now focus on preparing for Cagliari,” Napoli boss Rafael Benitez told Sport Mediaset (h/t Football Italia) after the match.

The Partenopei suffered for the rest of the match, sitting back and shutting out all attempts of a Viola equaliser.

Benitez’s men now sit in third place on 21 points.

Here are the highs and lows of the match. 

Napoli's Defence

Getty Images/Getty Images

Napoli successfully recorded their third consecutive clean sheet in all competitions in their win over Fiorentina.

The club’s defence has not had the best reputation around. They have been at fault for committing errors at the back due to lapses in concentration, and it’s an area that Napoli’s management have failed to shore up.

However, the Partenopei were able to keep the likes of Juan Cuadrado and Khouma Babacar at bay on this occasion, as Fiorentina put the away side under pressure after going a goal down.

Centre-back Kalidou Koulibaly remains at the forefront of Napoli’s defensive revolution, making him one of the brightest prospects in Serie A. He has even attracted the attention of Bayern Munich, according to reports (h/t Football Italia).

The 23-year-old has missed just one match for Napoli this season and a large part of their new defensive sturdiness can be attributed to him. 

Gonzalo Higuain Keeps on Scoring

Giuseppe Bellini/Getty Images

Gonzalo Higuain has been in hot form since his hat-trick against Verona, and he did not disappoint against the Viola.

The striker’s only goal of the match handed Napoli the crucial three points in a contest that saw the Partenopei waste some real opportunities in front of goal. Higuain has now netted six goals in his last four league appearances, per WhoScored.com.

He also completed two key passes and two dribbles, again per WhoScored.com.

The 26-year-old has looked lively around the pitch since regaining his confidence, signalling a return to the Napoli we witnessed last season.

Lorenzo Insigne's Injury

Fabrizio Giovannozzi/Associated Press

Lorenzo Insigne has had quite a season.

Much of the frustration for the poor results and disappointing form of the club at start of the campaign was taken out on the 23-year-old in the form of whistles and jeers.

The player then underwent something of a revival, playing exceptionally well for the better part of a month—even prompting heavy speculation he would catch the eye of Italy coach Antonio Conte.

However, the hometown hero suffered a terrible injury against the Viola. Leaving the field in tears and a bandaged right knee, many fear a long spell on the sidelines for Insigne.

The club have confirmed (h/t Football Italia) the player suffered a sprained knee and ligament damage, and according to Il Mattino (h/t Football Italia), he could be out for over two months.

Further tests will be carried out on Monday to gauge the severity of the injury he suffered following an awkward fall.

Losing Insigne means Napoli are losing arguably their most creative threat, which could affect them in the long stretch of matches left to be played in 2014. 

Vincenzo Montella Still Figuring out a System

Sergei Grits/Associated Press

Fiorentina coach Vincenzo Montella has been unsuccessful in firing up his men this season—a stark contrast to how the side performed for the last two years.

“Napoli were superior in the first half, they gained confidence while we were timorous and I don’t know why,” a surprised Montella told Sky Sport Italia after the match (h/t Football Italia).

The 43-year-old has been left short of options in attack and has not been afforded the luxury of fielding both Giuseppe Rossi and Mario Gomez for long stretches of matches due to the pair sustaining frequent injuries.

These setbacks have prompted a switch in Fiorentina’s setup from a 3-5-2 to a 4-3-3, but it has not provided consistent winning results.

Fiorentina now sit in 11th place with 13 points.