Romelu Lukaku ensured Napoli stayed firmly in the Serie A title race on Monday, delivering a goal and two assists in a convincing 3-0 victory over struggling Empoli.
The Belgian striker has now tallied 12 goals and 10 assists in Italy’s top flight this season, playing a pivotal role in Napoli’s pursuit of league leaders and reigning champions Inter Milan, who remain three points clear.
Lukaku, 31, has flourished under the guidance of coach Antonio Conte, evolving into a more complete forward. His playmaking has become as influential as his finishing — a fact underlined by his link-up with Scott McTominay on Monday night.
McTominay, enjoying an impressive debut season in Serie A, struck twice against Empoli to lift his tally to eight league goals. The Scotland international opened the scoring in the 18th minute, drilling a low shot from the edge of the area after Lukaku held off his marker and threaded a clever pass into his path.
Empoli, stuck in the relegation zone and now winless in 17 matches, kept themselves in the contest until Lukaku doubled Napoli’s advantage midway through the second half. The forward latched onto a pass from Mathias Olivera and powered home a left-footed strike in the 56th minute.
Just five minutes later, Lukaku turned provider again, this time displaying finesse with a perfectly floated inswinging cross for McTominay, who rose to head in his second of the night against his former Manchester United teammate.
McTominay came close to completing his hat-trick in the 66th minute, once again teed up by Lukaku, but his composed low shot clipped the post after rounding Empoli goalkeeper Devis Vasquez.
The victory keeps the pressure on league leaders Inter, who now turn their attention to a crucial Champions League quarter-final second leg against Bayern Munich, followed by a tough domestic trip to face in-form Bologna and a Coppa Italia semi-final clash with AC Milan.
For Napoli, the path to a potential second Scudetto in three seasons looks clear, with just one top-half opponent — 10th-placed Torino — left to face between now and the end of the campaign.
