Serie A is firmly up and running and it's safe to say that Napoli have had a particularly notable start. Two key figures departed the club this summer in Jorginho and Maurizio Sarri - both to Chelsea - while the most significant incoming was Carlo Ancelotti. The three-time Champions League-winning coach is returning to his native country after nearly a decade away and has a lot to follow in Sarri's Napoli. Ancelotti's first game back was away at Lazio and saw his new team go 1-0 down before turning it around to win 2-1. Up next was AC Milan - where Ancelotti lifted the Serie A trophy and the European Cup as both a player and a manager - and he went one better than in Rome as Napoli came from 2-0 down to win 3-2. Sampdoria were next in line and this time Napoli went 3-0 down - although there was to be no comeback and they were soundly trounced. And yet the attention coming out of the game isn't on Ancelotti's first defeat, nor is it on an early upset in the title race. It's all about a goal from Fabio Quagliarella. Gregoire Defrel had put Samp two goals ahead with a brilliant brace only to by thoroughly outshone in the 75th minute. A freekick was played straight into the wall before it made it out wide to Bartosz Bereszynski. He put the ball into the box and Quagliarella met it with a beautiful back-heeled volley that was placed perfectly into the far corner. But words cannot possibly do the goal justice, so just check it out below: Absolutely stunning. Needless to say, fans were raving about the goal on Twitter and you can check out their reaction here: Have we seen the best goal of the season so far? All we know for sure is that it will take something incredibly special to beat Quagliarella. News Now - Sport News<doc-sep>ROME — Fabio Quagliarella’s airborne back-heel volley against Napoli is already in the running for Serie A goal of the season. The former Italy striker athletically flicked the ball into the far corner to complete Sampdoria’s 3-0 win over visiting Napoli on Sunday. In the Genoa club’s first home match since 43 people were killed in the Morandi Bridge collapse in the port city last month, Quagliarella’s goal prompted celebrations inside the Luigi Ferraris stadium. OH NO YOU DIDN'T FABIO QUAGLIARELLA pic.twitter.com/M8N75BceGP — ItalianFootballTV (@IFTVofficial) September 2, 2018 Carlo Ancelotti’s Napoli, meanwhile, will need to figure out a better approach after falling behind early for the third consecutive match — even though it came back to win its first two. Gregoire Defrel scored twice for Sampdoria in the first half, with Quagliarella playing a part in both goals. A minute’s silence was observed before kickoff to honour the victims of the Aug. 14 bridge collapse, which occurred during a fierce storm. Napoli dropped three points behind perfect Juventus. OTHER RESULTS Marco Benassi scored his third goal in two matches as Fiorentina beat Udinese 1-0 to remain perfect through two matches — with its postponed opener at Sampdoria to be made up later this month. Kevin-Prince Boateng scored the opener as Sassuolo topped Genoa 5-3; Lazio beat Frosinone 1-0 in a regional derby with a goal from Luis Alberto; and Spal dropped its first points in a 1-0 loss at Torino, where Nicolas Nkoulou scored after the break during a match that was suspended for an hour due to heavy rain. Also, Nicolo Barella scored before the break to give Cagliari a 1-0 win at Atalanta; and Chievo Verona drew 0-0 with Empoli.<doc-sep>FABIO Quagliarella’s airborne backheel volley in Sampdoria’s big Italian Serie A win over Napoli is the leading candidate for goal of the season. Title hopefuls Napoli were thumped 3-0 at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris after coach Carlo Ancelotti tinkered with the team, dropping captain Marek Hamsik and forward Jose Callejon. Gregoire Defrel scored two first-half goals to put Sampdoria in command and, although Napoli improved after the break, Quagliarella added a third with an outrageous flick in the 75th minute. A low cross was sent into the area and the 35-year-old forward, at the near post, diverted it into the net with the back of his heel (watch in the video player below). LA LIGA: BRILLIANT BARCA PUT EIGHT PAST NEWCOMERS PREMIER LEAGUE: UTD EASE PRESSURE ON JOSE, SPURS STUNNED Last season’s runners-up Napoli, who came from behind to win both their first two games this season, have six points from three matches while Sampdoria are off the mark after having played just two games. “We started this game the same way we started the first two but this time we couldn’t turn things around,” Ancelotti, who has returned to Serie A after a nine-year absence, said. “We gifted them the first half with our attitude.” Elsewhere, Sassuolo scored four goals in 11 minutes before halftime on their way to a 5-3 win over Genoa. They are in second place with seven points, two behind leaders Juventus. Krzysztof Piatek gave Genoa the lead in the 27th minute but Kevin Prince Boateng, Pol Lirola, Khouma Babacar and a bizarre own goal by Nicolas Spolli put the hosts in complete control. Babacar’s shot appeared to be going to wide but Spolli stopped it with one foot, only to knock it over the line with the other. Gian Marco Ferrari scored a fifth after the hour before Goran Pandev and Piatek pulled two back. Marco Benassi’s second-half goal gave Fiorentina a 1-0 win over Udinese which left them with six points from two games. Lazio, who lost their opening two matches, beat Frosinone by the same score thanks to Luis Alberto’s goal early in the second half. Torino beat SPAL 1-0 in a match interrupted in the 18th minute for nearly an hour by torrential rain. Defender Nicolas Nkoulou headed the only goal early in the second half to give Torino their first win of the campaign and end SPAL’s perfect start.<doc-sep>Just give Fabio Quagliarella the Puskas Award already. The 35-year old scored a sumptuous third in Sampdoria's shock 3-0 win over Napoli, producing complete and utter filth 15 minutes from time. In the second phase of a Samp free-kick, Bartosz Bereszyński curled in a cross that was met by the most outrageous backheel volley from Quagliarella. Advert 10 We have had some amazing goals on Eleven today, but this might be the cleverest of the lot. Stand up, @FQuagliarella27. It's @sampdoria 3, @sscnapoli 0, and you can catch the last 15 minutes on our Facebook Live. #SerieA #PureFootball pic.twitter.com/2QpQIDdcZQ - Eleven Sports (@ElevenSports_UK) September 2, 2018 Quagliarella's goal for Sampdoria vs Napoli is :fire::fire::fire: https://t.co/YFxyYyMvAu - TheFootballRepublic (@TheFootballRep) September 2, 2018 The well-travelled striker has a knack for scoring fine goals but this one has to be the very best of his career - and I challenge anyone to score a better goal in the rest of the campaign. He gets in front of Kalidou Koulibaly and then the finish is worthy of millions of fire emojis, as he guides it into the top corner from 12 yards out. The former Juventus man then followed it up by a non-celebration, due it being against his former club. Advert 10 Twitter was well and truly gawking at the piece of individual brilliance served up by Quagliarella: Fabio quagliarella still got some magic left. Outrageous piece of skill for the goal. Napoli being put to the sword #SampNapoli @SerieA - Mohammed reus (@vonkide) September 2, 2018 Fabio Quagliarella just rolled back the years, dude doesn't just score goals, he scores fantastic goals.#SampNapoli - . (@u4uzoma) September 2, 2018 Fabio Quagliarella may have already won the goal of the season in Serie A. A backheeled volley into the top corner from 12 yards. He didn't even celebrate. Unbelievable. pic.twitter.com/fshqHwmhyk - bet365 (@bet365) September 2, 2018 Advert 10 Fabio Quagliarella has just scored one of the goals of the season for Sampdoria. WOWOWOW - Billy (@AmoriZep) September 2, 2018 No. Fabio Quagliarella has already won the goal of the season competition. A backheeled volley - but powered right into the corner. Game over. Sampdoria 3-0 Napoli - Andrew Cesare (@acrcalcio) September 2, 2018 Goal of the season by Fabio Quagliarella. Hands down. Don't need to see anything else the rest of the campaign. - Matthew Santangelo (@Matt_Santangelo) September 2, 2018 Oh, definitely watch the goal Fabio Quagliarella has just scored - imagine the famous Zola backheel, but from the penalty spot. - Seb Stafford-Bloor (@SebSB) September 2, 2018 Advert 10<doc-sep>
The attacker scored what may end up being the best goal in Serie A this year, with a beautiful redirected flick to put Sampdoria up by three It may be just a few weeks into the Serie A season, but Fabio Quagliarella may have already scored the goal of the year. Things were already going well for his Sampdoria side against visitors Napoli, as a first-half brace from Gregoire Defrel had the hosts up 2-0. Quagliarella, who assisted Defrel’s second, put an exclamation point on the victory in the 75th minute of the contest. Off a free-kick that was sent off the wall, defender Bartosz Bereszynski decided to drive a hard low cross into the area. Quagliarella, with his back toward goal, managed not only to get to the cross but also turn it into a magical finish. He did a slight leap off the ground to make a deft flick of the attempt, redirecting it into the net and leaving Napoli and former Arsenal goalkeeper David Ospinia with no chance. Oh my! Fabio Quagliarella delivers goal of the year candidate as Sampdoria shock Napoli in Serie A. pic.twitter.com/ZjcOZGsl0b — ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) September 2, 2018 We have had some amazing goals on Eleven today, but this might be the cleverest of the lot. Stand up, @FQuagliarella27. It's @sampdoria 3, @sscnapoli 0, and you can catch the last 15 minutes on our Facebook Live. #SerieA #PureFootball pic.twitter.com/2QpQIDdcZQ — Eleven Sports (@ElevenSports_UK) September 2, 2018 Javier Pastore managed a similar effort for Roma last week, but did not have to redirect a cross with nearly as much power behind it. It was the 35-year-old Quagliarella’s first goal of the 2018-19 Serie A campaign, after having scored 19 last season in the Italian top-flight, and 12 the season before. The 3-0 victory for Sampdoria provided them with their first points of the season, having dropped their opener 1-0 against Udinese. Sampdoria are looking to build off a 10th place finish in Serie A in 2017-18.