Romelu Lukaku made a memorable start to his Napoli career, scoring a vital goal in their 2-1 comeback victory against newly promoted Parma.
The Belgian striker, who recently joined Napoli from Chelsea, came off the bench to make an instant impact, helping his new team secure their second win of the season.
A Debut to Remember
Lukaku’s arrival at Napoli has been eagerly anticipated, and the 31-year-old did not disappoint.
After spending the last two seasons on loan at Inter Milan and Roma, Lukaku reunited with his former Inter boss Antonio Conte at Napoli.
Although he began the match on the bench, Lukaku’s influence was felt the moment he stepped onto the pitch.
Parma, who stunned Milan with a victory last week, took the lead early in the match thanks to a 19th-minute penalty from Ange-Yoan Bonny.
The visitors looked set for another upset, but the momentum shifted dramatically in the second half when Lukaku was introduced.
Turning the Tide
Napoli’s chances improved significantly when Parma’s goalkeeper, Zion Suzuki, was sent off for a foul on David Neres, leaving defender Enrico Del Prato to take over in goal.
Despite this advantage, Napoli struggled to find a breakthrough and even saw a potential penalty overturned by VAR in the 90th minute.
However, Lukaku came to the rescue just two minutes later. Latching onto a through ball from Leonardo Spinazzolla, he calmly slotted the ball home from 12 yards to level the score.
The equalizer ignited the home crowd, and Napoli continued to push for a winner.
Their persistence paid off deep into stoppage time when Andre Zambo Anguissa headed in the decisive goal, sealing a dramatic 2-1 victory for Napoli.
Lukaku hits the ground running immediately as he puts Napoli in n level terms in the 82nd minute against Parma ⚽
— Galaxy Sports (@GalaxySports001) August 31, 2024
Napoli 1-1 Parmapic.twitter.com/Hqaf03f2uF
Looking Ahead
Speaking after the match, Lukaku expressed his joy at making a strong start with his new club. “It is an honor to play for this club, these fans, and also for these lads, who gave me a really warm welcome,” Lukaku told DAZN.
“We worked really hard, and the effort we put into training paid off. It is something of a habit that I score on my debut, but we won and that’s the most important thing. I am very happy, but now we need to work and keep winning.”
With this win, Napoli moved up to fourth place in the standings, and Conte’s side will be looking to build on this momentum as they aim for a strong season in Serie A.
Lukaku’s impressive debut has already made him a fan favorite, and Napoli supporters will be eager to see more from their new star striker as the campaign progresses.
