With Napoli and Torino among five Serie A sides boasting four one-goal margin victories this season, a closely contested affair was anticipated at the Stadio Olimpico di Torino. Romelu Lukaku's inventive backheel was brilliantly denied by Vanja Milinković-Savic, who soon produced another world-class save to keep out Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s powerful header midway through the half.
Scott McTominay broke the deadlock shortly after, meeting Kvaratskhelia’s pullback inside the area to rifle an unstoppable left-footed thunderbolt into the near post.
Paolo Vanoli’s men came painfully close to levelling immediately after, but Saul Coco’s inexplicable miss from point-blank range left the hosts ruing their luck. The Partenopei ended the half narrowly ahead, preserving their status as the only Serie A side yet to concede in the first 40 minutes away from home this season.
Eager to widen their four-point cushion above the relegation zone, Torino regrouped after the break, but it was Giovanni Di Lorenzo who threatened first, narrowly heading wide of the left post. Soon after, Vanja Milinkovic-Savic was called into action again, denying Mathias Olivera’s header as Napoli intensified their push to double the lead.
Il Toro didn’t lose hope until the end, although their efforts barely bothered the Partenopei backline, as they ultimately succumbed to a sixth winless outing at home in seven matches, but not before Giovanni Simeone forced Milinkovic-Savic into yet another masterful save from a superb solo effort at the death.
Alongside Venezia, no team has collected fewer points than Torino in Serie A since matchweek six, leaving Vanoli’s outfit in midtable following a seventh loss this campaign.
They have not tasted a league victory since beating Como in late October. The story is very different for league leaders Napoli though, who have now kept five clean sheets across six league trips since starting their away campaign with a 3-0 defeat to Hellas Verona.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Vanja Milinkovic-Savic (Torino)