Frosinone 1 - 5 Napoli: Gonzalo Higuain at the double as Napoli go top with convincing win at Frosinone

Posted Monday, January 11, 2016 by PA

Gonzalo Higuain scored twice as Napoli blew Frosinone away 5-1 to assume first place in the Serie A table.

Defeats for previous frontrunners Inter Milan and second-placed Fiorentina meant two goals for the Argentinian striker, and efforts from Raul Albiol, Marek Hamsik and Manolo Gabbiadini, anointed Napoli as winter champions.

Paolo Sammarco's 81st-minute strike soothed Frosinone's pain, but they are now four points adrift of safety following Genoa's triumph over Atalanta.

With Inter falling 1-0 at home to Sassuolo earlier on Sunday, top spot was up for grabs and Napoli snatched it.

Albiol opened the scoring in the 12th minute. Jorginho's corner flew over Brazilian goalkeeper Massimo Zappino and found the Spaniard for a tap-in at the far post.

The Azzurri were 2-0 up on the half-hour mark as Higuain won and converted a penalty - blasting the ball straight down the middle - following Roberto Crivello's foul.

Hamsik then put the visitors out of sight with the first of two goals in two minutes, the Slovakian reaching the edge of the area unchecked before beating Zappino.

Another 60 seconds passed before Higuain scored again. The Stadio Matusa held its breath as the former Real Madrid striker danced past Modibo Diakite and Zappino before finishing with aplomb.

Goal number five belonged to substitute Gabbiadini, with Higuain's replacement zipping the ball over Zappino's shoulders with his left boot in the 71st minute.

The new leaders would not mind too much when Sammarco blotted their copybook with a late strike for Frosinone.