Antonio Conte’s Napoli stunned 3-0 by Verona in Serie A opener

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia was forced to come off before halftime after the Georgian looked uncomfortable following a collision with an opponent.

Napoli’s Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (left) and Hellas Verona’s Martin Frese in action during a Serie A match. | Photo Credit: AP

Napoli’s Serie A season kicked off disastrously on Sunday when it was overwhelmed 3-0 at Hellas Verona and lost star midfielder Khvicha Kvaratskhelia after he collided with an opposing player.

Antonio Conte, in his first league match in charge of the 2023 champion, was forced to take off Kvaratskhelia just before halftime when the Georgian looked uncomfortable following the collision.

Napoli’s problems deepened after the break when Dailon Livramento got in front of the defence after five minutes and slotted in a cross from close range to give the hosts the lead.

The nightmare continued for Napoli after 75 minutes when Daniel Mosquera received a through ball and calmly struck a right-footed shot in to double Verona’s lead.

In stoppage time, Verona scored a third as Napoli’s defence faltered, allowing Mosquera to tap in a close-range pass and complete his brace.

AS Roma started its campaign with a goalless stalemate at Cagliari, while city rival Lazio got off to a flying start, winning 3-1 at home against newly promoted Venezia, despite an early scare with the visitor scoring after three minutes.