It's going from bad to worse for Napoli. The 2023 champions suffered a resounding defeat against Torino on Sunday and are now just a lackluster mid-table team in Serie A.
Napoli's fortunes have taken a steep downturn, leaving them in a dire situation. The team's troubles began just before Christmas when they endured a devastating 0-4 loss to Frosinone in the Coppa Italia.
Subsequently, their Serie A performances yielded only one point, with a disappointing 2-0 defeat against AS Roma and a lackluster 0-0 draw against Monza.
The absence of Victor Osimhen, who had left to participate in the Africa Cup of Nations, coupled with the underperformance of Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, compounded Napoli's woes. Their match against Torino proved to be another blow, as the Turin-based team took the lead just before halftime, thanks to a composed finish by Antonio Sanabria in the midst of a chaotic situation.
Highlighting the dismal nature of Napoli's current season was an incident shortly after the game resumed. Pasquale Mazzocchi was given the opportunity to make his debut as a substitute under coach Walter Mazzarri. However, the wingback, recently acquired from Salernitana, was shown a red card within just five minutes for a high challenge on Valentino Lazaro. Almost immediately, Nikola Vlasic was given ample time to take a shot, extending Torino's lead to 2-0.
Playing with only ten men, Mazzarri's struggling team failed to mount any significant comeback. In fact, the home team further solidified their lead with a header from Alessandro Buongiorno from a corner kick. Napoli's Serie A campaign this season has now seen them suffer seven losses, a stark contrast to their championship-winning year when they were defeated only four times. Torino, where Perr Schuurs was unavailable due to a serious injury, currently stands as a mid-table team.
