Napoli stunned 3-0 by Verona in Serie A opener
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Hellas Verona's Dailon Livramento tackling Napoli's Pasquale Mazzocchi in their Italian Serie A soccer match at the Marcantonio Bentegodi stadium in Verona, Italy on Aug 18, 2024.
PHOTO: EPA-EFE
Napoli's Serie A season kicked off in disastrous fashion on Sunday when they were overwhelmed 3-0 at Hellas Verona and lost star midfielder Khvicha Kvaratskhelia after he collided with an opposing player.
Antonio Conte, in his first league match in charge of the 2023 champions, was forced to take off Kvaratskhelia just before halftime when the Georgian looked uncomfortable following the collision.
Napoli's problems deepened after the break when Dailon Livramento got in front of the defence after five minutes and slotted in a cross from close range to give the hosts the lead.
The nightmare continued for Napoli after 75 minutes when Daniel Mosquera received a through ball and calmly struck a right-footed shot in to double Verona's lead.
In stoppage time, Verona scored a third as Napoli's defence faltered, allowing Mosquera to tap in a close-range pass and complete his brace.
AS Roma started their campaign with a goalless stalemate at Cagliari, while city rivals Lazio got off to a flying start, winning 3-1 at home against newly promoted Venezia, despite an early scare with the visitors scoring after three minutes. REUTERS
