Napoli extends lead after narrow win at Empoli
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia's penalty was the difference as Napoli laboured to a 1-0 win at Empoli to extend its lead at the top of the Serie A table.
Kvaratskhelia tucked away his spot-kick in the 63rd minute, Napoli's only shot on target over the 90 minutes and the first goal Empoli has conceded at home in the league this season.
Tino Anjorin was the player to concede the penalty, standing on Matteo Politano's foot inside the area on the Napoli winger's 300th Serie A appearance.
Empoli was left to rue missed chances in the first half when it was by far the better side, with Sebastiano Esposito going closest when his ferocious volley was kept out by Elia Caprile.
Caprile was also called upon to stop Giuseppe Pezzella's effort with his foot as Antonio Conte's men earned a scrappy win, their fourth in a row in all competitions.
Napoli moved on to 19 points, three ahead of Juventus in second. Empoli is 11th with 10 points.
Conte recalled Napoli's dismal title defence last season and its 3-0 opening-day defeat to Verona to highlight how its approach has changed when it struggles to break down a stubborn opponent.
"In the first half we were spectators, I didn't see what we had prepared, and I saw a lot of nervousness," Conte said.
"Certainly, what satisfies me is to have seen a reaction in the second half. The first was very negative.
"This is a difficult place to come. I don't know if it was due to the fact of defending the top spot, but it makes me smile if I think about last year or how we started this season."
Conte sent on Giovanni Simeone for Romelu Lukaku and replaced Leonardo Spinazzola with Mathias Olivera just before the hour mark to try and inject something different into the game.
Seconds later, it was awarded the decisive penalty, and Conte was pleased that the changes paid off.
"When you work during the week you prepare the game in all phases, we had prepared it defensively with 4-5-1," Conte added.
"I changed something from a tactical point of view, from a possession point of view. I think it bore fruit because we saw another game."
