| Walter Zenga made a spectacular Serie A coaching debut on the Catania bench, as Napoli were flattened at the Stadio Massimino. Zenga took the reins this week after Silvio Baldini's departure and inherited a Catania side on the slippery slope to relegation with Giuseppe Mascara suspended. Napoli had picked up seven points from their last three games, though they were missing Manuele Blasi and Marcelo Zalayeta. The Azzurri had never won here in Serie A, losing three of their previous six visits.
Zenga's debut got off to the best possible start, as Catania broke the deadlock in the opening four minutes. It was a curious goal, as Giuseppe Colucci's low free kick from a tight angle flashed past everyone including the goalkeeper to slide in at the near post. It got even better when Gennaro Sardo went on a strong run down the right and rolled across for Gionatha Spinesi's simple tap-in with the inside of his right foot. Napoli finally woke up and Marek Hamsik flashed a shot over from distance, while Walter Gargano's deflected strike so nearly went in. Roberto Sosa forced a difficult save out of Ciro Polito and then turned a header inches wide of the woodwork. Vargas tested Matteo Gianello and then set up a great chance that Davide Baiocco hit too meekly, but Catania lost goalscorer Colucci to an injury just 36 minutes in. Vargas made it 3-0 straight after the restart. A corner kick to the back post was at first scuffed, but he had space and time to have a second more accurate left-foot volley into the far top corner. He celebrated in curious fashion, hanging his shirt on the corner flag and falling backwards. Fabiano Santacroce nodded a Hamsik cross just wide and substitute Emanuele Calaio' thumped the bar with one of his first touches, a looping header. Michele Pazienza also struck the woodwork with a low drive from distance, but Catania could have extended their advantage with Vargas hitting the side-netting. Calaio' was left red-faced as he incredibly ballooned wide of an open goal when set up by Ezequiel Lavezzi. Spinesi's bicycle kick went over the bar, but Napoli hit their third post of the afternoon with Lavezzi from outside the box. | 
