Napoli returned to winning ways in the Italian Serie A on Wednesday with a convincing 4-1 victory over Monza, as Rasmus Hojlund ended his eight-match goal drought, although the win was overshadowed by a potentially serious injury to midfielder Stanislav Lobotka.
The visitors took the lead in the 10th minute when Hojlund capitalised on a pass from Giovanni Di Lorenzo, who won possession following a midfield challenge before releasing the Danish striker to score.
However, Napoli suffered a setback when Lobotka was forced off on a stretcher after Ricardo Mangas accidentally fell on him, twisting his ankle.
The midfielder was taken to a local hospital for X-rays, with Billy Gilmour coming on as his replacement in the 17th minute.
Monza, who had won their previous two home matches, gradually grew into the contest and equalised in the 43rd minute.
Jay Robinson delivered a cross from the left, which Gustavo Varela met with a glancing header from close range to restore parity before the break.
Napoli regained the advantage just three minutes into the second half after Matteo Politano intercepted a pass from Mangas, cut inside and fired a low finish through Lorenzo Lucchesi’s legs into the bottom corner.
The visitors extended their lead in the 62nd minute when Rafa Marin headed home from a Politano corner, exposing Monza’s continued struggles in defending set pieces.
Kevin De Bruyne completed the scoring five minutes later, running onto a cleverly disguised pass from Noa Lang before rounding the advancing goalkeeper and finishing one-on-one to make it 4-1.
Despite Monza’s efforts, Napoli held firm to secure all three points and end the hosts’ positive run on home soil.
Goalkeeper Vanja Milinkovic-Savic also played a crucial role, producing several saves to deny Varela and Foe Ondoa.
The victory provided a timely response for Napoli following their recent defeat to Venezia, while Hojlund’s goal offered a boost after eight appearances without scoring.
However, the extent of Lobotka’s injury remained a major concern for the visitors.
The result leaves Napoli celebrating an emphatic away win, with goals from Hojlund, Politano, Marin and De Bruyne sealing the 4-1 victory, while Varela scored Monza’s only goal.
