Napoli’s Gonzalo Higuain (centre) holds the Italian Cup trophy as he celebrates with his teammates after winning the final against Fiorentina at the Olympic stadium in Rome. (Reuters)
DPA/Rome
Lorenzo Insigne scored a brace to help 10-man Napoli beat Fiorentina 3-1 Saturday in the final of the Italian Cup at Rome’s Stadio Olimpico. The diminutive winger scored two early goals, the Florence side pulled one back with Juan Vargas before half-time and substitute Dries Mertens struck in injury time after the dismissal of Goekhan Inler.
“I think it was a good game,” Napoli coach Rafael Benitz said as Napoli lifted their fifth cup. “In the beginning we were in control and it seemed easy, but they scored and put pressure on us.
“Also with 10 men we did well, defending well, and got the third goal. I think our fans saw a team who gave their 100 per cent and they should be happy.”
The in-form Insigne fired wide on six minutes, saw his teammate Gonzalo Higuain miss a close-range deflection, and on 11 curled a textbook drive into the far corner off a Marek Hamsik assist.
Napoli came close again as Fiorentina defender Gonzalo Rodriguez almost scored an own goal, and saw Insigne get his second on 17 with a shot that Nenad Tomovic deflected to wrong-foot his goalkeeper Neto.
Borja Valero fired Fiorentina’s first effort above the bar on 25 minutes, three before Juan Vargas shot into the left corner as Josip Ilicic sent him away with a drooping feed.
Goran Pandev came on for the limping Higuain and immediately had a dangerous break blocked as Fiorentina with 17 minutes left brought on striker Giuseppe Rossi to end an injury layoff of four months.
The Naples side had midfielder Inler sent off with a second booking 11 minutes from time, securing the win from a late break by Mertens after Ilicic and substitutes Alessandro Matri and Fernandez missed for Fiorentina.
The game’s kick-off was delayed 45 minutes as three Napoli supporters suffered bullet wounds in a shooting apparently not connected to clashes between opposing fans.