Alpha News

Napoli Returns to Winning Ways, Closes Gap on Inter

Published January 17, 2026, 20:17

Napoli defeated Sassuolo 1-0, returning to winning ways after three consecutive draws. A 7th-minute goal from Lobotka was enough to secure the three points for Antonio Conte's team, reducing the gap to league leaders Inter to 6 points and tying with Milan in second place (who have a game in hand). Although Napoli did not reach high performance levels, they managed to control their lead, despite Sassuolo's pressure for an equalizer. The visitors had more shots on goal (21 vs. 11), but Vanja Milinković-Savić was solid in Napoli's goal. This victory is a significant boost for Napoli, after a period of undesirable results. Conversely, Sassuolo continued their negative streak, completing 7 matches without a win since December 6th. The match showed that Napoli can achieve results even when not at their best, while Sassuolo urgently needs improvement to move away from the danger zone in the standings.