Azzurri: Coke and ice

What with this being a brand spanking new column, it's kind of difficult to know where to start the retrospective.

As it sticks in the memory, though, I'm going to look back as far as Napoli's 3-0 spanking at Catania.

Spiderman 3

Seems ages ago now, but Walter Zenga's first Serie A management assignment provided painful watching for Azzurri fans, Catania powering to an early lead within 16 minutes with goals from Giuseppe Colucci and Gionatha Spinesi exposing a disturbingly lacklustre Napoli defence in Sicily.

From that moment, it was game over. As the sun shone down on the Spiderman's debut, it was Catania's day. Zeke Lavezzi struggled to get a foothold and the middle of the park belonged to the Sicilians.

The frankly stunning performance of Catania's Juan Manuel Vargas - that day playing a more advanced role than many are used to seeing him in - was capped by the third goal, reacting well when his shot was parried by Gianello. Napoli later created some chances, but the damage was done.

Back to winning ways

The Azzurri then hosted Atalanta, and ran out 2-0 winners. Eddy Reja's men grabbed the lead in the second half at the San Paolo, having had the better chances in the first. Walter Gargano tested the Atalanta 'keeper from a good 35 yards, before Marek Hamsik pounced on a rebound from Lavezzi to give the Azzurri the advantage with a tap-in.

The game was sealed when Napoli's Argentine connection combined to secure a second. Hamsik laid the ball out to the left wing and Roberto Sosa provided a sweetly delivered cross for compatriot Lavezzi to scramble home.

Following that comfortable win came a victory so unexpected that it helped net me £130 from a £3 stake in an otherwise fairly comfortable treble. However, controversy reigned.

One goal down, itself from the spot, Napoli saw their opponents reduced to ten for a professional foul on Lavezzi. Spot-kick specialist defender Maurizio Domizzo blasted in the penalty to draw the Azzurri level.

The Blues created chances after the break, and Reja's (pictured) men were unlucky not to have led earlier. The goal eventually came in style, the wonderful Hamsik's cross met brilliantly by Mariano Bogliacino who tucked the ball into the back of the net for 2-1.

Then, Lavezzi was victimised by Parma, the Argentine taking a good kicking which kicked off the end-of-game spice. Parma fans won't thank me for saying so, but the whole thing was rather unsavoury. Two more reds went their way, and Gargano found himself clean sooner than he'd have liked too. All very messy.

Most recently, Napoli disappointed in a goalless draw with the far-from mighty Siena, so I'll happily gloss over that one.

So what's the status?

Well, there's not a whole hell of a lot left to play for, but the season's gone pretty well. 35 games gone, Napoli are 9th with 47 points in the bag. No Europe, but no relegation either. Comfortably. All in all, it's been very respectable, with a few very memorable highlights. Of those, reading about Santacroce and Lavezzi lobbing ice and Coke cans at one another is not one.

Fingers crossed Napoli manage to steal Vargas, what a cracking player he is.

Next up, Napoli travel to Turin to face Toro on Saturday. Come on you Blues!