Romelu Lukaku was the star of the show as Napoli secured a resounding 3-0 victory over Fiorentina in Serie A action on Sunday at the famous Artemio Franchi Stadium in Florence. The Belgian striker scored a penalty, contributing to a performance that put Napoli three points clear at the top of the table.
Meanwhile, Thomas Tuchel, the new coach of the English national Football team, donned a thick coat and baseball cap as he began his observation mission. The German tactician’s first task saw him observe the Premier League match between Tottenham and Newcastle on Saturday.
Tuchel was certainly encouraged by the opening exchanges of the match, where two players likely to feature in his first group found the net within the first six minutes. Tottenham’s Dominic Solanke opened the scoring in the fourth minute, followed by Newcastle’s Anthony Gordon who quickly added a second goal. Ultimately, the match ended 2-1 in favor of Newcastle, which saw English talents Lewis Hall and Tino Livramento shine.
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Having officially taken up the role on Wednesday, Tuchel and his coaching staff are set to visit St George’s Park, the FA’s training ground, next week to kick off a series of meetings introduction with staff.
Looking ahead, Tuchel’s first competitive matches in charge will be crucial World Cup qualifiers against Albania on March 21 and Latvia three days later, as he aims to guiding England to the 2026 World Cup finals across the United States, Canada and Mexico.
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Back in Serie A, Napoli’s recent resurgence continued with a fourth consecutive victory after back-to-back defeats at the start of the season. Goals from David Neres, Romelu Lukaku and Scott McTominay sealed the comfortable victory against Fiorentina, who have now lost three of their last four league outings and sit in fifth place.
Neres opened the scoring with a superb effort, weaving through three defenders before firing an angled shot with his weaker right foot. Fiorentina’s Moise Kean thought he had equalized, but his would-be goal was ruled out after a lengthy VAR check ruled the handball decision inconclusive, leaving the first decision unchanged.
In the second half, Lukaku made no mistake from the penalty spot, while McTominay took advantage of a defensive error to add a third goal.
In other Serie A action, a mid-table showdown between Empoli and relegation-placed Venezia resulted in a 1-1 draw, with Joel Pohjanpalo and Sebastiano Esposito trading goals in the first half.
