Serie A | Napoli 2-1 Torino – Alisson wondergoal & Elmas strike inspire comfortable win

Napoli moved a step closer to securing Champions League football with a commanding home victory over Torino at the Maradona, with goals from Alisson Santos and Eljif Elmas doing the damage against a Torino side that threatened briefly but were ultimately well beaten.

Antonio Conte’s men were in the ascendancy from the off, and it took only seven minutes for the opener to arrive.

Alisson Santos, the Brazilian who has quickly become a fan favourite at the Maradona, collected a pass on the edge of the box and without hesitation rifled an unstoppable effort into the bottom left corner.

It was a goal of genuine quality, the kind that silences any doubts about whether a player belongs at this level.

Torino were not without their moments in the first half.

You can relive all the action, as it happened, on our Live Blog.

Vanja Milinkovic-Savic was called into action on a couple of occasions, producing a sensational stop to deny Nikola Vlasic from close range after a rebound fell invitingly on the edge of the box, while Duvan Zapata tested the defence with a powerful effort that cannoned to safety.

But Napoli’s control was evident, their passing crisp and purposeful as they managed the game comfortably until the break.

Napoli 2-1 Torino – Zambo Anguissa & De Bruyne return from injury

Zambo Anguissa made his comeback from injury at half-time, replacing Vergara in a moment that drew warm applause from a sell-out crowd, the Cameroonian’s return another welcome boost for a squad stretched thin by a lengthy injury list.

Kevin De Bruyne followed him off the bench in the 79th minute, the Belgian’s first involvement since October greeted with enormous excitement from the stands.

The points were sealed on 68 minutes when Elmas, having been played in smartly by Matteo Politano, jinked inside his marker and buried an unstoppable low drive into the bottom left corner. It was a goal of composure and conviction, and one that gave the result its definitive shape.

Torino did manage to deny Napoli a clean sheet, when Cesare Casadei scored with just two minutes left of normal time. However, the Partenopei managed to hold on to their lead and secure the three points.

Napoli’s fortress remains intact.

The Maradona is still an unbeaten turf in Serie A this season, and with De Bruyne and Anguissa edging closer to full fitness, Conte’s side are gathering momentum at exactly the right time.