Hello all and welcome back to Naples. It’s season 3 and it’s been a very tough start to the league. We’ve already played both Milan teams and Juventus as well as Lazio and Fiorentina and we’ve only played 8 games. In the Champions League we got beat by Inter but we smashed our other 2 opponents with Maradona loving our European adventures. Let’s see how we get on in this update.

What a start to this update. All six goals come in a crazy first half. It takes 3 minutes for us to take the lead when Cavaco flicks on a goal kick and Bellucci smashes it low in to the net. The next 3 all come from Longo who goes on a mad one! His first 2 come from rebounds where he is in the right place at the right time to tap home shots that hit the post. His 3rd is a beauty from the edge of area where he curls it right into the top corner. To top off his performance he lays off Cavaco to fire in our 5th. Just before half time Meier makes a mess of a cross which allows Bari to grab a goal back. A mad game all done and dusted in the first half.

Cup action now and Empoli put on a defensive masterclass. They have massively impressed me here. Cribari gets man of the match and he earns it with ease. he stops us at every turn and when we do get past him Lombari is there to stop any shots we manage to get in. Full respect for Empoli.

We meet Empoli again, this time in the league, and this time we step up a gear. It’s a Panzanaro own goal that gives us the lead before a quick fire double from Bellucci gives us a comfortable 3-0 lead. In the second half Cappellini gives Empoli a route back into it the game but Diego snuffs that out with 15 minutes remaining with a classy side foot finish.

Back in European action here and we should have won this game. We start brilliant with 2 good chances but it’s Inter who take the lead when Fresi breaks free and slots it past Meier. We get straight back on top and deservedly equalise in the 35th minute when Diego plays a ball round the corner and Bellucci sweeps it into the far corner. We batter Inter in the second half but Pagliuca is unpassable.

A hard fought away win here. Udinese start brightly and take a deserved lead when Giacobbo’s corner is headed home by Bachini. We slowly start to grow into the game and get a leveller with 10 minutes of the half remaining when Bellucci plays a lovely ball through for Nevland to hit home for 1-1. In the second half we take the lead in the 63rd minute when Diego sets up Bellucci who megs the keeper to seal the 2-1 win.

Another game where we start strongly but concede first which is so annoying. Thankfully we are playing really well and we respond brilliantly when Bellucci fakes a shot and passes to Cavaco who has all the time in the world to tap home the equaliser. In the second half Cavaco turns provider for Bellucci who slams home our winner. We see out the win professionally.

A great one for the neutrals as it’s end to end all the way through. Bellucci is the star of the show with a 17 minute first half hattrick. His first comes from a Cavaco flick on. His second is a brilliant solo run and curling effort from just inside the box. Minetti then scores a great solo goal of his own to bring Brescia back into it. Bellucci grabs his hattrick in the 37th minute with a well placed effort which catches Pagotto out. Minetti pounces on a mistake at the back to make it a nervy end but we hang on for the win.

Back in European action now and it’s another easy win. Cavaco and Bellucci again are central to our win as they provide assists for each other. First Cavaco plays a lovely diagonal ball which finds Bellucci at the back post who heads home the opener. Bellucci then breaks away and slips in Cavaco who slots it past Lesjak. Diego then tops off a great nights work when he hits home Cavaco’s blocked shot.

We have to grind this one out and I’m pleased to come away with a draw. Sampdoria take the lead after 3 minutes when Maniero breaks free and fires an unstoppable shot past Meier. We work hard to get back into the game and Cavaco is the man to do it as he cuts inside and fires past Ferron. Signori then restores Sampdoria’s lead with a well placed shot from 10 yards. It takes us until the last 10 minutes to grab an equaliser and it’s top man Bellucci who gets on the end of Diego’s cross to head home our 2nd.

This is our game in hand and it’s a good result against a struggling Ravenna. It starts pretty poorly in the first minute when Meier comes for a cross and completely misses his punch and Francioso is behind him to tap home one of the easiest goals of his career. We equalise thanks to a lung bursting run from Coridon as he races to get on the end of Cavaco’s cross. We take the lead in the second half from a Gattuso free kick which he hits deep to the far post and Blomberg is there to nod it past Rubini. Diego then adds a 3rd, twinkle toeing his way through the Ravenna defence and dinking it over Rubini for a 3-1 win.

Crazy game here. Defence goes well and truly out the window and we have another hattrick this time from Beto. Beto gives us the lead as he volleys in a deflected shot. straight from kickoff Torino put a low cross into the six yard box which Kanu turns into the net. It’s our turn to score from kickoff as we storm forward and Beto is there to finish off a sweeping move. It takes 5 minutes for Masitto to breeze through and make it 2-2. In the second half we score two goals in 10 minutes with Beto getting his hattrick and Asanovic scoring a stunner. Torino reply instantly again after the 4th goal they can’t find an equaliser and we finally get the win.

Diego is loving European football this season. He gets us off the mark by setting up Bellucci who hits the post only for Diego to smash home the rebound. He then grabs a second when Cavaco plays him through and he megs the keeper. In the second half Diego crashes a long range effort off the cross bar which causes panic in the box and Beto is there to finally prod the ball home. Kveladze gives the home fans a goal to cheer but Diego has the last laugh by again hitting home Bellucci’s blocked effort for his hattrick.

Delighted to say that win gets us into the Champions League Quarter Finals. Our reward is a tie with Real Madrid.

We end this week’s update with a visit from Roma and we brush them aside comfortably. I’m delighted that Imbriani scores our opener on his return to the first team after a long time out injured with a damaged spine. We then give away a stonewall penalty which Del Vecchio thumps past Meier. In the second half we take control and Beto doubles our lead from Bellucci’s flick on. Bellucci is involved again as his header hits the bar but Coridon’s follow up finds the back of the net for an easy 3-1 win.

Before we go let’s check out the league table.

We have romped up the table and sit top of the pile but Juventus do have that game in hand over us. We have also qualified for the Champions League Quarter Finals but Real Madrid will take some beating! Join me next time to see if Diego and Co and stay at the top.