CAGLIARI starting XI (3-5-2): Scuffet, Zappa, Mina, Luperto, Azzi (subbed for Zortea), Deiola (subbed for Adopo), Marin (subbed for Makoumbou), Gaetano (subbed for Kingstone), Augello, Luvumbo, Piccoli (subbed for Pavoletti)

Bench: Ciocci, Sherri, Lapadula, Viola, Jankto, Wieteska, Palomino, Obert, Felici

NAPOLI starting XI (3-4-2-1): Meret, Di Lorenzo, Rrahmani, Buongiorno, Mazzocchi, Anguissa, Lobotka (subbed for Gilmour), Spinazzola (subbed for Olivera), Politano (subbed for Neres), Kvaratskhelia (subbed for McTominay), Lukaku (subbed for Simeone)

Bench: Contini, Caprile, Juan Jesus, Marin, Zerbin, Ngonge, Raspadori, Folorunsho

Goals: Di Lorenzo 18’, Kvaratskhelia 66’, Lukaku 70’, Buongiorno 90+3’

It was their third straight victory in the Italian league.

There are positive signs that, under new manager Antonio Conte, Napoli are starting to look more like the team that stormed to the league title in 2023 and less like the troubled side of last season.

One of the stars of that team was the now-departed Victor Osimhen, who was replaced by Lukaku - reuniting him with Conte after the pair won the Serie A at Inter in 2021.

“I strongly wanted Romelu, as I always have throughout my career, because we’re talking about an atypical player,” Conte said.

“He’s not yet at his top level, but he’s a player who will become fundamental for us.”

Conte lost his first league match in charge, but Napoli have won all three since then, scoring nine goals and conceding just one.

Lukaku scored on his debut last time out and was given his first start for Napoli on Sunday.

He proved dangerous from the start and set up the opener in the 18th minute, rolling Matteo Politano’s cutback across the area to Giovanni Di Lorenzo, whose effort was deflected by Cagliari defender Yerry Mina.

The match had to be suspended for around eight minutes in the first half because of crowd trouble.

Napoli had Alex Meret to thank for keeping them in the lead as the goalkeeper pulled off a number of great saves.

They doubled their lead in the 66th minute when Khvicha Kvaratskhelia ran onto a pinpoint through ball from Lukaku and fired into the bottom left corner.

Kvaratskhelia returned the favour four minutes later following a howler from Cagliari goalkeeper Simone Scuffet who, while trying to play out from the back, passed the ball straight to the Georgian. Kvaratskhelia passed to Lukaku for a simple finish.

Alessandro Buongiorno netted in stoppage time with a header from a corner.

AAP

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