Soccer-Insigne scores twice from the spot as Napoli go back on top

Lorenzo Insigne scored twice from the penalty spot as Napoli returned to the top of the Serie A standings, level on points with equally unbeaten AC Milan, after a 3-0 home win against Bologna on Thursday.

Lorenzo Insigne scored twice from the penalty spot as Napoli returned to the top of the Serie A standings, level on points with equally unbeaten AC Milan, after a 3-0 home win against Bologna on Thursday. Spain midfielder Fabian Ruiz opened the scoring in the 18th minute at the Diego Armando Maradona stadium with a left footed shot into the top corner from outside the box that gave goalkeeper Lukasz Skorupski no chance.

Captain Insigne doubled the tally from the spot in the 41st minute after a VAR decision confirmed Chilean centre-back Gary Medel had handled the ball in the area under pressure from Victor Osimhen. Insigne, who had missed a good 15th minute chance, stepped up and fired into the bottom corner.

His second came in the 62nd, right-footed to the bottom left, after another VAR review when Osimhen went down in the area. There was to be no hat-trick, with Insigne taken off three minutes later.

Napoli coach Luciano Spalletti was absent from the dugout as he served a touchline ban after being sent off in the 0-0 draw at Roma last Sunday. Napoli now have nine wins and a draw from 10 games and Thursday's result extended their unbeaten run at home in Serie A to 16 games.

Bologna dropped to 12th in the standings.

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