- Napoli beat Empoli 3–0 to move within three points of Serie A leaders Inter
- Romelu Lukaku scored once and assisted twice, while McTominay netted a brace
- Juan Jesus suffered a muscle injury and was replaced by Rafa Marín in the second half
Key Takeaways:
Napoli thrashed Empoli 3–0 and once again moved to within three points of Serie A leaders Inter. Romelu Lukaku and Scott McTominay were at the heart of the win for the Partenopei. The Belgian scored one of the goals and assisted the other two, both finished by the Scottish international.
Only Napoli’s third victory in their last 10 league matches pushed Antonio Conte’s team seven points ahead of third-placed Atalanta. Empoli, meanwhile, remain 19th in the standings, and with each passing round, the Tuscan club’s chances of survival in the top flight continue to fade.
12 goals for Lukaku. 9 goals for McTominay.
The duo have been crucial in Napoli's title race this season 🤝 pic.twitter.com/7K73f2zEeh
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) April 14, 2025
The hosts took the lead in the 18th minute when Lukaku set up McTominay, and the former Manchester United midfielder had enough time to aim and fire a powerful shot past Empoli goalkeeper Davis Vásquez. The combination clearly pleased Conte, who applauded Lukaku from the touchline.
The visitors had a chance to equalise, but Emanuele Gyasi sent the ball over the bar from a good position. Billy Gilmour followed with a miss of his own, and just before the break, Sebastiano Esposito came very close to scoring for Empoli.
In the 56th minute, Mathías Olivera played a clever through ball to Lukaku, who made it 2–0. It was the striker’s 12th goal of the season for Napoli. Just five minutes later, the Belgian forward delivered a cross onto McTominay’s head, and the Scot made it 3–0 with help from the crossbar, sealing the win for the hosts.
The only piece of bad news for Conte was the injury to Juan Jesus. The Brazilian suffered a muscle strain and had to be substituted midway through the second half. Rafa Marín came on in his place, making his first official appearance since mid-February.