Dries Mertens scores with goal and assist for Napoli, but drops off in cup after match with three red cards and seven goals

The visitors from Tuscany took the lead in the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona just before half-time. Prize shooter Dusan Vlahovic scored his 19th goal of the season for ‘La Viola’. But before the halftime signal, Mertens leveled the score again, with goal number eight of the season for our compatriot. And Fiorentina actually fell with ten after red for goalkeeper Bartłomiej Drągowski.

But the visitors dealt the first blow in the second half, with a great goal from Cristiano Biraghi. The calf seemed to have drowned for Napoli when both Hirving Lozano (84′) and Fabian Ruiz (93′) were ruled out, but in the 95th minute Andrea Petagna even scored the equalizer for the home team on a pass from Mertens. So extensions.

But in that, Mertens and Napoli went down. Thanks to goals from Lorenzo Venuti, debutant Krzysztof Piątek and Youssef Maleh, Fiorentina booked a 2-5 win and a spot in the quarter-finals of the Coppa Italia, where Atalanta awaits.