Amir Rrahmani scored deep in extra time as Napoli came from behind to snatch a 2-1 win at home to bottom-of-table Salernitana in Serie A on Saturday to ease the pressure on the under-fire defending champions.
Napoli move up to sixth in the standings on 31 points and Salernitana stay bottom on 12 points.
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“We continued to play, we remained calm and given the chances we created, the victory is deserved,” Napoli manager Walter Mazzarri told DAZN.
Napoli came into the match without a win in their last three league games, and the fans in the sun-soaked Stadio Diego Armando Maradona made their feelings known before the action began.
“Those who don’t feel up to it should leave with dignity, we only want those who have pride, ambition and respect for the city,” read one banner unfurled by the Napoli ultras.
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Antonio Candreva scored a stunning goal to give Salernitana the lead in the 29th minute, taking one touch to beat Matteo Politano before curling his shot into the far top corner from well outside the area for his fifth goal this season.
“We were penalised straightaway because we conceded a goal in the first action. It wasn’t easy, given the moment,” Mazzarri said.
It looked like the visitors would take their lead into the break, but in added time Napoli were awarded a penalty for a foul by Federico Fazio on Giovanni Simeone and Politano put his spot kick into the bottom corner beyond Guillermo Ochoa.
It was Napoli’s first goal since Dec. 16, after failing to score in their last four games, including their exit from the Coppa Italia.
Napoli emerged for the second half with a different attitude, and Jens Cajuste had two chances at goal in the first four minutes, the second a shot from outside the area that curled just wide of the far post.
That early promise soon petered out though, and again Salernitana created plenty of danger, Napoli keeper Pierluigi Gollini pushing away a cross from Loum Tchaouna with Simeon Nwankwo waiting to pounce in front of goal.
Napoli poured forward in desperation towards the end, with the crowd at their back, and in the 96th minute a free kick into the box saw keeper Ochoa collide with his teammate and when the ball fell to Rrahmani he turned and fired in from close range.
“The ball was coming from behind towards me, it wasn’t clean so I stopped and shot, there was nothing to think about,” Rrahmani said.
The atmosphere inside the ground went from frustration to euphoria, and the result, if not the performance, may take some pressure off Mazzarri.
For Salernitana, it was heartbreak for the second weekend in a row having also lost 2-1 to an added time goal against Juventus in their last game.