In five minutes, between the 65th and 70th, Frosinone hit Napoli (0-4) with two goals and sealed the first great surprise of the Coppa Italia, humiliating the Partenopeans with two final blows in added time that revived the nightmare for the Neapolitan team last season, when they were eliminated against Cremonese in this same round, at the first opportunity.
The Coppa is that tournament that lends itself to surprise and in which the greats play with an advantage. They begin to compete in the round of 16 and do so at home in a single match. Napoli, however, do not seem to do well with these rules, as they are repeat offenders. Last season they fell on penalties and this time they were humiliated by another recently promoted team.
Neither Simeone nor Raspadori, who started at the start, nor Osimhen, Kvarastkhelia, Lobotka, Di Lorenzo and Politano, the great starters who appeared at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium in the second act, could avoid a painful defeat and another setback in the eventful season. from Naples. Once again out of the Cup in the round of 16, again against an -in theory- inferior rival, but this year with the difference that in the league things are not going so well.
This year’s Frosinone is also not last season’s Cremonese, which was bottom without having won a single game at this time. This team, which also jumped with a large part of the ‘Unit B’, is well worked under the command of Di Francesco, who knew how to tie the Neapolitans short in Maradona’s house to punish whenever he had the opportunity.
Because the yellows had barely disturbed Gollini’s goal during the first half. A single chance at Caso’s feet that he hit a defender and that ended in a corner kick. It was Napoli who gave the impression of being in more danger, but were unable to achieve the goal.
Only an error by Okoli in the transfer to his goalkeeper Cerefolini sparked the first half. Simeone read the movement and moved forward, so he received the central defender’s pass and with a skillful feint he avoided the goalkeeper before scoring into an empty goal. He celebrated Napoli, who saw how the match was not as comfortable as expected, but the VAR appeared to annul the goal due to a handball in Zanoli’s previous play.
Saved by the bell at that moment, Frosinone did not forgive in the second half. Two blows in two minutes that gave them a historic victory to advance to the quarterfinals of the Italian Cup for the first time. In addition, he had the pleasure of closing a marker in added time to remember.
First with a header from Enzo Barrenechea that opened the way. The Argentine, owned by Juventus, turned his neck at the near post to beat Gollini with elegance. And just five minutes later, the sentence came. Di Lorenzo made the same mistake as Okoli in the first act and gave up a ball behind that Caso picked up with a clear path to make it 0-2.
Mazzarri couldn’t believe it from the bench. The balmy victories against Braga and Cagliari came to nothing before their own public. Not even after finishing with all the starters did Napoli glimpse a comeback. In fact, they ended up paying even more for the match with a penalty from Di Lorenzo in added time that Cheddira converted and a final counterattack that Harroui materialized.
A disaster in Naples, another one in the season. A success for Frosinone, another one in the season. A rival awaits in the quarterfinals, who will emerge from the duel between Juventus and Salernitana.
