ROME (AP) — A few weeks ago when Napoli was struggling for goals and its title hopes were fading, coach Antonio Conte told Scott McTominay the team needed more from the midfielder.
The Scotland international got the message.
McTominay’s late header secured a 1-0 win at last-placed Monza on Saturday to pull Napoli level with Serie A leader Inter Milan. It was his third goal in two games.
McTominay evaded his marker to redirect a cross from Giacomo Raspadori in the 72nd minute for his 10th goal across all competitions for Napoli this season.
“We just have to keep doing our job, keep winning. At the business end of the season that’s what you got to do,” McTominay said. “It’s getting that level every game. We have a coach who is very, very demanding who expects that from us every game. So for us it’s about pressuring Inter Milan and seeing where that gets us.”
Napoli struggled for long periods and Matteo Politano failed to finish off a big chance moments before McTominay's score.
“These are games that look easy on paper but there’s so much on the line that the pressure is enormous,” Conte said.
Napoli’s win places pressure on Inter ahead of its visit to in-form Bologna on Sunday.
“It’s unexpected and extraordinary,” Conte said of being in the title race with Inter. “We want to keep bothering them.”
Five rounds remain after this weekend.
“We know we have to be at a higher level than this for the last five games," McTominay said. "But at the end of the day it comes down to if you win.”
McTominay joined Napoli in August in a 30.5 million euros ($35 million) transfer from Manchester United, where he had been since the age of five, and at 1.93 meters (6-foot-4) he has made a big impact in the Italian league with his aerial prowess and physical presence.
McTominay also scored twice last Monday in a 3-0 win over Empoli to end a run of more than two months without a goal for Napoli — including when the Partenopei failed to win a game throughout February.
“He’s helping us a lot. He’s a great player. But we knew that," Napoli captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo said. "What maybe we didn’t know was what type of impact he would make right away. We’re enjoying it. He’s an extraordinary kid.”
Raspadori energized Napoli when he went on in the second half and also provided the through ball for Politano's chance.
Napoli is chasing its second Serie A title in three years after finishing 10th last season.
Como nears safety
Earlier, 13th-placed Como won at relegation-threatened Lecce 3-0 for its third straight victory — virtually assuring Cesc Fabregas’ team of a second consecutive season in the top flight for the first time since the 1980s.
Argentina talent Nico Paz led the way again by setting up Como’s opener for Assane Diao. Edoardo Goldaniga doubled the advantage with a header and Diao added another in stoppage time.
Lecce remained two points above the drop zone.
Later, Roma was hosting Hellas Verona looking to extend its 16-match unbeaten run.
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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Andrew Dampf, The Associated Press
