Napoli, under manager Antonio Conte, secured UEFA Champions League qualification in style with a dominant 3-0 victory away at Pisa, extending the hosts’ miserable run to eight straight defeats in Italy’s top flight.
Pisa, already relegated and with little left to fight for, struggled to match Napoli’s intensity as the visitors dictated the tempo from the outset.
Coming into the match, the home side had scored just 18 non-penalty goals all season, the lowest return across Europe’s top five leagues and that lack of cutting edge quickly showed.
Napoli went close early on through Rasmus Højlund, who headed narrowly wide, before Alisson Santos was denied by Adrian Semper.
The breakthrough eventually arrived midway through the first half when Scott McTominay finished emphatically into the bottom corner after a clever first-time lay-off from Højlund.
The visitors doubled their advantage soon after, with Amir Rrahmani rising to meet an Eljif Elmas corner and bundling the ball home despite Semper’s efforts to keep it out.
Elmas remained a constant threat, forcing a sharp fingertip save from the Pisa goalkeeper before the interval.
Pisa did show brief signs of life at the start of the second half, with Filip Stojilkovic testing Alex Meret early on, while Mehdi Leris headed over from the resulting corner.
However, their momentum quickly faded as Napoli regained full control without needing to overextend themselves.
McTominay had a chance to add a third when he met a cross around the hour mark, but he sent his header over the bar.
The final word, however, belonged to Napoli, as Højlund got his reward in stoppage time, stretching to convert a low cross from Pasquale Mazzocchi and seal the win.
The result guarantees Napoli a place at Europe’s top table next season, as they remain three points clear of AC Milan and AS Roma heading into the final round, with second place still within reach.
For Pisa, the defeat deepens their struggles, they have now won just once in their last 26 Serie A matches and will close their campaign away at Lazio.
