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Lukaku stars as Napoli keep pressure on Serie A leaders Inter / Photo: © AFP
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Lukaku stars as Napoli keep pressure on Serie A leaders Inter
Romelu Lukaku made sure that Napoli would stay three points behind Serie A leaders Inter Milan with a goal and two assists in Monday's 3-0 win over struggling Empoli.
Belgium striker Lukaku has scored 12 times and set up 10 more in Italy's top flight this season and has been key to Napoli's battle with reigning champions Inter for the league title.
The 31-year-old has developed his game under coach Antonio Conte and is having as much of an impact with his distribution as he is with his goalscoring, with Scott McTominay being the beneficiary on Monday.
McTominay ratted in Napoli's other two goals, taking his tally to eight in his debut Serie A season after being brilliantly served by Lukaku, who arrived last summer to replace banished star Victor Osimhen, and has surpassed expectations.
Scotland international McTominay drilled home Napoli's opener from just outside the area in the 18th minute after Lukaku used his strength and control to hold up the ball and slip in the marauding midfielder.
Empoli, who sit second-from-bottom and have failed to win in 17 matches, were in the match and dangerous until Lukaku doubled the hosts' lead in the 56th minute, collecting Mathias Olivera's pass and smashing in with his left foot.
Five minutes later and Lukaku showed a more delicate touch when setting up McTominay for his brace, floating over a perfect inswinging cross which his former Manchester United teammate confidently headed home.
McTominay nearly had a hat-trick in the 66th minute when, after again being laid on by Lukaku, he rolled a low shot against the post when one-on-one with Empoli goalkeeper Devis Vasquez.
Monday's win keeps the pressure up on Inter who face Bayern Munich in the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final and then travel to high-flying Bologna next weekend before facing local rivals AC Milan in the Italian Cup semi-finals.
Napoli meanwhile have no commitments other than trying to win a second Scudetto in three seasons and face just one team from the top half of the table -- 10th placed Torino -- between now and the end of the season.
G.Collins--SFF
