Napoli returned to winning form in Serie A with a tight 1-0 success over Sassuolo, as Stanislav Lobotka’s early goal ensured three important points at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona and moved Antonio Conte’s team back to within six points of Inter at the top of the table.
The victory continued Napoli’s impressive home sequence in Serie A, with the Partenopei extending their unbeaten league run in front of their supporters to 21 matches. It is the fifth time in the club’s history that a home streak has passed 20 league games, and the first such sequence since the 22-match stretch recorded between August 2015 and September 2016.
The decisive moment arrived after just seven minutes, when Eljif Elmas saw a powerful volley pushed out by Sassuolo goalkeeper
Arijanet Muric. Lobotka reacted sharply on the edge of the box and guided a cushioned volley from around 18 yards into the roof of the net, completing a composed finish that settled the contest.
That goal ended a long personal wait for Lobotka in Serie A. The midfielder had not scored in the Italian top flight since finding the net against Hellas Verona in August 2022, meaning there were 1,251 days between that strike and this one. On a night short of clear chances, that contribution proved decisive for Napoli.
Sassuolo responded well after conceding and created openings of their own. Armand Lauriente forced Vanja Milinkovic-Savic into a smart low save with a driven effort, while the Napoli goalkeeper later denied Aster Vrancx before half-time. Early in the second half, Milinkovic-Savic again preserved the lead, stretching to push away a skidding shot from Luca Lipani.
Napoli continued to search for a second goal to close out the match. Scott McTominay tried an ambitious strike from distance that passed narrowly wide, and Pasquale Mazzocchi met a cross with an acrobatic attempt which Muric managed to push away. Despite those missed chances, the early Lobotka finish remained enough to separate the sides.
Napoli’s success also extended a specific sequence against newly promoted Serie A teams. The Partenopei have now earned four straight league wins over promoted opposition within the same season for the first time since the 2018-19 campaign, when Carlo Ancelotti was head coach, underlining their consistency against clubs arriving from Serie B.
For Sassuolo, the defeat added to a difficult period in front of goal. The team have now suffered three consecutive Serie A losses without scoring, matching an unwanted pattern last experienced between February and March 2015. That lack of attacking output again proved costly against a Napoli side willing to protect a narrow advantage.
21 - Napoli (W15 D6) haven't lost in more than 20 home consecutive games in Serie A for the fifth time in their history, the first since the period between August 2015 and September 2016 (22 in that case). Stronghold.#NapoliSassuolo #SerieA pic.twitter.com/h3nILRX7KdOptaPaolo (@OptaPaolo) January 17, 2026
The narrow win keeps Napoli firmly in the Serie A title conversation, backed by a strong home record and renewed effectiveness against promoted teams. Lobotka’s rare goal and Milinkovic-Savic’s key saves highlighted a controlled but hard-fought display, while Sassuolo left Naples facing further questions over finishing and overall attacking threat.
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