Scott McTominay hailed as ‘genius' as Napoli seize control of Serie A title race
Scott McTominay has been branded a "genius" by the Italian media after his brace against Torino gave Napoli control of the Serie A title race.
McTominay's double took him to 11 goals for the season and above Denis Law, who scored 10 for Torino in 1961-62, as the most prolific Scottish player in a single season in Italy's top league.
Advertisement
Napoli now lead second-placed Inter - shock 1-0 losers at home to Roma before their title rivals kicked off on Sunday night - by three points with four games to play.
McTominay guaranteed that advantage with first-half goals against Torino and La Gazzetta dello Sport, Italy's biggest and most respected sports newspaper, had no hesitation in underlining the importance of the Scotland midfielder who has scored five goals in three games.
Gazzetta called McTominay a "genius" and "Maradona's hero", a reference to the club's former late Argentina great who twice won the Scudetto during his career in Naples.
It has been a remarkable campaign for the 28-year-old who started the season on the Manchester United bench and left Old Trafford in August for £25.7m.
Advertisement
McTominay was associated with the United academy from the age of five and made 255 senior appearances for the Red Devils.
On putting Napoli in charge for their second Serie A title in three seasons, McTominay told DAZN: "It would mean the world, obviously the squad did it two years ago.
"We mustn't get too high, as now we are leading the race, but we've got to keep calm, keep everything relaxed and go game by game.
Napoli closed in on Serie A success (Getty Images)
"This game isn't important unless we win the next and the one after that. So let's stay calm and see where it gets us."
Napoli's remaining games are all against teams in the bottom half of the table.
Antonio Conte's side play Genoa and Cagliari at home with away games against Lecce and Parma.
PA
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
How to watch Scotland vs Iceland FOR FREE: TV channel and live stream for friendly today
Scotland will look to bounce back from Nations League play-off disappointment when they face Iceland in an international friendly tonight. The Tartan Army, despite winning the first-leg, slumped to a 3-0 defeat at home to Greece in the second leg back in March and suffered relegation to League B as a result. Advertisement Now the attentions turns to World Cup qualification preparations with friendlies lined up against Iceland and then Liechtenstein next week as Steve Clarke aims to end the season on a positive note. Clarke could also hand out debuts to a number of promising Scotland players as the likes of Lennon Miller and Kieron Bowie have been included in the squad alongside some more experienced names such as Andy Robertson, Kieran Tierney and Serie A winning duo Billy Gilmour and Scott McTominay. A tough test awaits Scotland at Hampden Park as Iceland are capable of springing a surprise. That said, their form is a concern heading into tonight's showdown having won just once in their last seven games. Here's everything you need to know about where to watch the game... How to watch Scotland vs Iceland TV channel: The game will be broadcast live in the UK for free on the BBC. Coverage starts at 7.30pm BST on BBC One Scotland ahead of an 7.45pm kick-off. Live stream: Fans can also tune into the contest via the BBC Sport app, website and BBC iPlayer.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Erik ten Hag wants $116M Man Utd outcast to replace Liverpool target Florian Wirtz
Bayer Leverkusen is named as a "club to watch" with regards to the future of Manchester United flop Antony, as the Bundesliga club searches for a replacement for Florian Wirtz. Wirtz is set to leave Leverkusen after deciding that he wants to join Arne Slot's Liverpool, and his departure will leave big boots to fill in Erik ten Hag's squad. Naturally, Ten Hag is being linked with a move for Antony — a player he was roundly mocked for taking to United — with the Daily Mail mentioning Leverkusen as a club who could afford to sign him permanently. Advertisement Antony joined United in 2022 but the Brazilian's acquisition quickly became a stick to beat Ten Hag with, as it soon became apparent that he was not worth the colossal fee that the Red Devils signed him for. READ MORE: Liverpool set to lose long-term staff member joining Pep Ljinders at Man City READ MORE: Bayer Leverkusen star desperate to avoid nightmare Florian Wirtz transfer scenario Ruben Amorim allowed Antony to leave on loan during the January transfer window, and he demonstrated his quality during a fruitful spell at Real Betis, scoring some key goals as the La Liga club made it through to the Conference League final. Advertisement Despite enjoying a career revival in Spain, he is not expected to return there on a permanent basis as Betis cannot afford to meet United's asking price for the Brazilian. Leverkusen will have plenty of money to spend this summer, with Liverpool alone expected to add at least $200 million to the German club's kitty. Liverpool has already signed Jeremie Frimpong for $39 million, while the Reds could also end up paying as much as $171 million for Wirtz. Liverpool is continuing to work on a deal for Wirtz -Credit:The Reds are continuing to work on a deal to sign the Germany international, after it emerged last month that he had opted to join the Anfield club ahead of Bayern Munich. Advertisement Liverpool will have to smash its transfer record to get a deal over the line, with Virgil van Dijk the club's current record signing after his $101 million move from Southampton in January 2018. Darwin Nunez's transfer fee would have surpassed the Van Dijk fee had all of the add-on clauses in his deal been met, but they have not, and he is expected to leave the club this summer, amid interest from Atletico Madrid as well as clubs in the Saudi Pro League. The mooted $171 million fee would not only make him Liverpool's record signing — it would also make him one of the most expensive signings in soccer history: only Neymar and Kylian Mbappe have moved clubs for bigger transfer fees in the past.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Liverpool open talks with AC Milan over winger
Chiesa linked with quick return to Italy Transfer talk is also increasing around Luis Diaz, with Barcelona's attempts to talk to the Reds rejected but a sale not ruled out. And Federico Chiesa could be set for a quick return to Serie A. The Italian, 27, only arrived at Anfield in September but has scarcely made an impact. Advertisement Although he scored a goal in the EFL Cup final, he made only six Premier League appearances - for a total of just over 100 top-flight minutes. It was speculated that the Italy international would be let go back in January with several Serie A clubs interested. He stayed put and his contract - which extends to 2028 - is reportedly too rich for the majority of interested sides. AC Milan in talks over Chiesa But it looks like AC Milan are back at the table. According to a new report in Italy, the Rossoneri have opened talks with Liverpool over a loan deal for Chiesa. The Euro 2020 winner is said to be interested in the move but one complicating factor is Liverpool's reluctance to discuss a loan bid. Advertisement Chiesa is available this summer but it looks like the club are only interested in a permanent deal for a winger they signed for £12.5m last summer.
