The Lavezzi Show: Napoli 3 – Pisa 1

By: Joe | August 20th, 2007

i am a stud The following match report is provided by Elio and the fine folks at ClubNapoli.it.

Super Lavezzi shoots Napoli into the 3rd round of the Coppa Italia. A hat-trick from the Argentinean at San Paolo decided the game [3-1] against Ventura’s team. Napoli came from behind, overcoming the Tuscans, thanks to the first official goals from the Argentinean, Lavezzi.

Coach Edy Reja underestimated the opponents, sending onto the field a formation overloaded with mid-fielders. In the first 45 minutes of play the difference in the leagues status of the two teams was not evident. In fact, Pisa were quicker than the Azzurri and they surprisingly they went into the lead in the 18th minute; Cerci passed to Kutuzov whose centre caught Gianello by surprise. Napoli missed the quick play of Hamsik and the tempo of the game showed that they missed his decisive play. Play was predictable, only one shot on target and a free kick from Domizzi in the 24th minute which was punched clear by Padella. At the start of the second half, Lavezzi came on for Gatti and on his own he decided the outcome of the game, the 25,000 spectators were enthralled. In the 4th minute of the second half, Lavezzi from outside the area, let fly with a shot that bounced one metre before the goalkeeper and caught Padella by surprise. The equaliser brought the crowd to life, but this was not enough to take the game during the 90 minutes.

In the 13th minute of extra time Sosa passed from deep in his own half, Lavezzi hit the ball on the volley from inside the penalty area. The goal brought hope to the crowd. Three minutes from time, Lavezzi received the ball from De Zerbi and secured the result with a shot from 10 meters that went in off the post.

Napoletanos have begun to love this team. Reja’s team next play in the third round of the Cup at home to Livorno on the 29th August. Three days after the game against Cesena [4-0], Reja started the game against Pisa without any of the new acquisitions, bringing on Lavezzi for the second half was wonderful. The Argentinean has become the new idol of San Paolo, when he arrived he was overweight and he had to work hard to be fit enough to play. We knew he was good and capable of beat opponents and to dribble well, but up to now he had shown little of this ability. He has silenced everybody the way he played and scored his hat trick against Pisa.

The third round of the Cup has seen two good teams go out – Genoa lost against Ascoli [2-3] after extra time and Bologna lost at home to Trieste on penalties [4-5].

Translation by Roland Whittaker.

Napoli – Pisa 3-1
Napoli: (3-5-2) Gianello, Maldonado, Cannavaro, Domizzi, Garics, Savini, Montervino (35? Hamsik) , Bogliacino, Gatti (1? st Lavezzi), Calaiò (13? De Zerbi), Sosa.
Pisa: Padella, Zoppetti, Raimondi, Trevisan, Zavagno, Cerci, (41? st D’Anna)Pastiglia, Genevier, Carrozza (12? Tiboni), Kutuzov (6? st Ciotola), Castillo.

Referee: Pinzani
Goals: 18? pt Kutuzov, 49? Lavezzi, 13? 1st extra-time Lavezzi, 13? 2nd
extra-time Lavezzi