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The Herald Scotland
24-05-2025
- Sport
- The Herald Scotland
Billy Gilmour and Scott McTominay help Napoli to win Serie A title
The hosts, a point ahead of Inter Milan in the league table after 37 fixtures, knew if they prevailed against Cagliari, the 14th place side in the top flight, that the Scudetto would be theirs for just the fourth time in their 99 year history. But it proved to be a nerve-shredding evening for them. It was that man McTominay, who has won the hearts and minds of the Neapolitan people since completing his £25.7m transfer from Manchester United last summer, who gave them the breakthrough they so desperately needed just before half-time. Read more: The 28-year-old netted an acrobatic effort – he held off Gabriele Zappa shortly before and volleyed home a Matteo Politano chip – to send the home supporters inside the packed arena wild and spark a mass pyrotechnic display inside and outside the arena. Nobody will ever replace Maradona, the legendary Argentinian player who almost single-handedly led Napoli to their first two Serie A triumphs in 1987 and 1990, in the affections of the Gli Azzurri faithful. El Diego is a mythical figure for them. But McTominay, who is set to play for Scotland in their forthcoming friendlies against Iceland and Liechtenstein, attained legendary status this evening. Gilmour, the former Rangers kid and Chelsea and Brighton midfielder who was excellent alongside him, also cemented his place in the fans' affections. The dynamic duo became the first Scots to lift the Italian title since the little-known Jack Diment and James Squair helped Juventus to be crowned champions for the first time in 1905. The Napoli players all understood that if they drew and Inter, who will take on Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final in the Allianz Arena in Munich on Saturday week, failed to beat Como away then they would also finish first. (Image: NurPhoto via Getty Images) But they were clearly intent on winning and being crowned champions in style. Manager Antonio Conte, who was banned from the dugout after being sent off against Parma away last weekend, set up with a 4-3-3 formation with Matteo Politano, Romelu Lukaku and Giacomo Raspadori up front. Gilmour, who is not exactly renowned for his attacking prowess and has never scored a goal for a club at senior level, and McTominay, who has been on target 15 times for club and country in the 2024/25 campaign, were at the heart of all of the home team's best passages of play once the action commenced. The former forced a save from Albanian keeper Alen Sherri after Napoli broke upfield on the counter and the latter, who had just headed a dangerous Nicolas Viola corner out of his six yard box, had a goal-bound shot blocked by Yerr Mina. Raspadori fired just wide and Leonardo Spinazzola had two attempts denied after a mistake by Sherri. The tension around the ground grew palpably when news filtered through that Inter had taken the lead through Stefan de Vrij and leapfrogged them into top spot. Read more: McTominay, who took his tally for Napoli to 12 and surely ensured that he will be named Serie A Midfielder of the Season with his spectacular strike, reclaimed first place for them at a crucial stage in proceedings. Manchester United fans – who were, for reasons best known to themselves, never entirely convinced by the player who chose to represent Scotland due to his Helensburgh-born father – must be wondering why they allowed the 6ft 4in colossus to leave for such a paltry fee. The Old Trafford club have once again been dire this term and were left with nothing to show for their efforts earlier this week when they were beaten by Spurs in the Europa League final in Bilbao. Belgian striker Lukaku prompted a full-scale pitch invasion when he put Napoli two ahead just six minutes into the second half with the kind of goal he has scored on numerous occasions in his career. He picked up the ball in the centre circle, shrugged aside Michel Adopo and Zappa and fired underneath Sherri and into the bottom right corner of the net. It finished 2-0 at the end of the 90 minutes. Few people in Italian football gave Napoli much chance of repeating their 2023 Scudetto win when Georgian winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia was sold to Paris Saint-Germain for €70m back in January. McTominay, though, has filled the considerable void which the former Serie A Most Valuable Player and Champions League Young Player of the Year left in the side. Gilmour, too, has more than done his bit. He has his work cut out getting into the team with Stanislav Lobotka and Frank Anguissa in the squad. But he has stepped up when he has been called on and was outstanding this evening. He had every right to take a full part in the wild celebrations which followed the final whistle. Scotland get their World Cup qualifying campaign underway in September when they play Denmark and Belarus away in their opening Group C matches. They will, barring injury or illness, have a Coppa Italia winner in Lewis Ferguson of Bologna and two Serie A champions in Gilmour and McTominay of Napoli in their starting line-up. It will improve their chances of reaching Canada, Mexico and the United States next summer.
Hans India
24-05-2025
- Sport
- Hans India
Napoli wins fourth Serie A title with one point over Inter
Rome: Napoli fended off Inter Milan's pressure to register its fourth Serie A title on Friday after a 2-0 home victory against Cagliari in the final round, making the Nerazzurri's win over Como to no avail. The Scudetto race was practically a two-horse race before Friday. Napoli entered its final matchday with 79 points, one point ahead of Inter, so Antonio Conte's side only needed one victory to secure its Serie A champion, regardless of Inter's result. Cagliari had confirmed its Serie A status after the 37th round and had nothing to play for on Friday, but Napoli only broke the deadlock on the stroke of halftime when Matteo Politano whipped in a cross, Scott McTominay found the net with a stunning acrobatic scissor kick, reports Xinhua. Romelu Lukaku doubled the lead just six minutes after the break when the Belgian collected the ball in the midfield and surged forward, resisting shoulder-to-shoulder challenges before finishing with a low-strike. It is Napoli's second Serie A championship in three years, as it had relished the glory with huge advantage in the 2022-2023 season under Luciano Spalletti, ending a 33-year wait. It is also a historic moment for Conte, who became the first coach to win Serie A title with three different clubs, having already steered Juventus and Inter Milan to the laurel. Elsewhere, Inter rotated the starting line-up massively but still rose to a 2-0 away victory with a pair of goals from Stefan de Vrij and Joaquin Correa, while Como's veteran goalkeeper Pepe Reina, who has decided to retire after the season, ended his career with a red card when he rushed out to bring down Mehdi Taremi outside the box in the first half. Inter eventually capped off the Serie A season on second place with 81 points, one shy of Napoli. But Simone Inzaghi's men have no time to dwell on the regret, as they have to shift the focus to the Champions League with the massive final awaiting them on May 31.
The Sun
23-05-2025
- Sport
- The Sun
Scott McTominay's incredible bicycle kick wins Serie A for Napoli… despite being deemed not good enough for Man Utd
SCOTT MCTOMINAY's outrageous bicycle kick helped Napoli secure a second Serie A title in three seasons. The Scot's first-half acrobatics raised the roof in Naples as the hosts saw off Cagliari 2-0 to clinch the Italian crown. 3 3 3 McTominay and Co knew three points would secure just a second title since 1990. After back-to-back draws, there were nerves in Naples ahead of kick-off against mid-table Cagliari at the Diego Maradona Stadium. Inter Milan faced off with Como and were the only team that could catch Napoli, should they drop points. Napoli dominated the first half, coming close through Leonardo Spinazzola and Billy Gilmour. And it was Manchester United outcast McTominay who would break the deadlock - in stunning fashion. Ghosting into the box, the Scot checked his run on the penalty spot to connect first time with Matteo Politano's cross. McTominay rifled in a brilliant scissor-kick past Cagliari keeper Alen Sherri. The 28-year-old's goal sparked wild celebrations in the terraces. Another former Red Devil Romelu Lukaku doubled the lead just after the break to get the party truly started. It has been a stunning turnaround for McTominay, who was deemed surplus to requirements by United chiefs just 12 months ago. The Scot joined Napoli for £25million last summer - a deal which now looks like a bargain. McTominay has been employed in a more attacking role, flourishing in the final third as a result. He has bagged 12 goals in 34 Serie A matches, chipping in with 4 assists. AC Milan legend Joe Jordan recently told SunSport that McTominay could ultimately prove to be Serie A's greatest EVER Brit. Jordan told SunSport: 'I would say Scott McTominay has made much more of an impact in Italy than I did in my first season. 'He's already much more popular than I ever was. "I got on well with the Milan fans but it took me a bit of time to settle down to the Italian game. "Since his introduction the Napoli supporters have taken to Scott right away. 'He has done exceptionally well, in a team that is consistently winning. They love him in Naples and I know what the Napolitani, are like, they're incredible fans, absolutely fanatical about their club and their heroes. "In Naples, they only support one team and that's Napoli."
USA Today
23-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Matteo Politano vs. Cagliari – Player props & odds to score a goal on May 23
Matteo Politano vs. Cagliari – Player props & odds to score a goal on May 23 [gambcom-standard rankid="4130" ] Will Matteo Politano score a goal when SSC Napoli and Cagliari square off on Friday, May 23 at 2:45 PM ET? In the piece below, we analyze the current stats, trends and odds for this game. Napoli faced Parma away from home in its last game and the sides finished with a draw, 0-0. The Napoli side took eight shots, outshooting Parma by three. Keep up with Serie A action this season on Fubo! Matteo Politano's Odds to Score a Goal vs. Cagliari Odds to score a goal next game: +180 Soccer player prop odds courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook. Odds updated Friday at 12:39 AM ET. For a full list of sports betting odds, access USA TODAY Sports Betting Scores Odds Hub. [gambcom-standard rankid="4142" ] Matteo Politano's 2024-25 Stats This season, he has found the back of the net in three of the 36 matches he has played in. In terms of expected goals, Politano (1.5 xG) is 1.5 lower than his actual goal tally (three). In terms of assists, he has picked up one in three of the 36 matches he has appeared in this season. So far in the 2024-25 season, he has attempted 40 shots, averaging 1.1 per game. SSC Napoli vs. Cagliari Scoring Insights With 57 goals in 37 games, Napoli is fifth in Serie A. On the other side, Cagliari has conceded 54 goals in 37 matches, 15th in the league. Cagliari is 12th in Serie A in goals scored (40 overall, 1.1 per game), and Napoli is first in goals conceded (27 overall, 0.7 per game). Napoli's goal difference (+30) ranks third in Serie A. Cagliari has been outscored 54-40, and its -14 goal differential is 12th in Serie A. SSC Napoli vs. Cagliari Match Info Matchup: Napoli vs. Cagliari Napoli vs. Cagliari Time: 2:45 PM ET 2:45 PM ET Date: May 23, 2025 May 23, 2025 Venue: Stadio Diego Armando Maradona More Player Props: [gambcom-standard rankid="4338" ]
The Star
22-05-2025
- Sport
- The Star
Soccer-Napoli hold edge in Serie A's grand finale
FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Serie A - Parma v Napoli - Stadio Ennio Tardini, Parma, Italy - May 18, 2025 Napoli's Matteo Politano with teammates applaud fans after the match REUTERS/Alberto Lingria/File Photo (Reuters) - Napoli may be stumbling towards the finish line following back-to-back draws, but they remain in pole position ahead of Inter Milan going into their final Serie A matches on Friday. With 90 minutes left in the season, Napoli hold a one-point advantage over Inter after a campaign in which the two teams have regularly swapped places at the top of the standings. Napoli host a Cagliari side safe from relegation, while Inter face a tough test at in-form Como who are unbeaten in their last eight matches. The odds favour Napoli, with league president Ezio Simonelli due to be in Naples with the trophy ready for a potential coronation. Napoli coach Antonio Conte is almost certain to be without midfield anchor Stanislav Lobotka, leaving the engine room duties to Scotland's Billy Gilmour and Scott McTominay. At the back, injuries have ruled out Juan Jesus and Alessandro Buongiorno. Inter boss Simone Inzaghi faces a raft of tough selection calls - and like Conte will be forced to watch the season finale from the stands due to a touch-line ban. With the Champions League final looming and key players Lautaro Martinez and Davide Frattesi still short of full fitness, Inter may be forced to keep both on the bench or leave them out altogether. FOURTH PLACE The race for the final Champions League spot remains intense. Napoli, Inter and Atalanta have qualified and Juventus occupy fourth place, one point clear of AS Roma and two points ahead of Lazio. Juventus, who need a victory to be sure of Champions League qualification, should be good enough to overcome second-bottom Venezia when they meet on Sunday. Juve will likely be without injury-plagued midfielder Teun Koopmeiners while Nicolo Savona, Pierre Kalulu and Khephren Thuram all return from suspension. Roma will say farewell to coach Claudio Ranieri in his last match, having turned around their season with only seven losses in his 35 matches in charge in all competitions before Sunday's game at midtable Torino. Roma need Juve to drop points in order to have a chance to leapfrog them into the top four and with no new injury concerns, Ranieri is unlikely to make changes to his team. Lazio close out their season with a home match against Lecce and their faint hopes of earning a Champions League spot rest on Juve losing and Roma also dropping points, while they beat their relegation-threatened opponents. The mood at San Siro on Saturday will be anything but festive as AC Milan host already relegated Monza in what could be Milan manager Sergio Conceicao's final match - though he won't be in the dugout due to a suspension. Ninth-placed Milan will have no European football next season and while a win in their final game might lift them a place or two, overall it has been a campaign to forget for the 19-times champions. At the bottom of the table, the battle to avoid joining Monza in relegation is fierce. Venezia sit 19th with 29 points, while Empoli and Lecce share the final relegation spot on 31 points. Parma and Hellas Verona are also under pressure with 33 and 34 points respectively. Empoli host Verona in Sunday's final match, while Parma face a tough trip to Atalanta, who have little left to play for. (Reporting by Tommy Lund in Gdansk; Editing by Toby Davis)
