Rasmus Hojlund scored as Napoli beat Pisa 3-0 to secure Champions League football and trigger his permanent move from Manchester United.
Napoli secured Champions League qualification with a convincing 3-0 victory over Pisa on Sunday, while also confirming the permanent signing of Rasmus Hojlund. Antonio Conte’s side produced a composed away performance at the Arena Garibaldi to guarantee a top-four finish with one Serie A match remaining.
The result moved Napoli five points clear of fifth-placed Como and ensured they will return to Europe’s elite competition next season. Hojlund played a central role once again, registering both a goal and an assist in another impressive display.
Pisa began brightly and attempted to pressure Napoli high up the pitch during the opening stages. However, the visitors gradually settled and found the breakthrough in the 21st minute through Scott McTominay. Hojlund showed sharp awareness inside the area before squaring the ball for the former Manchester United midfielder to finish calmly into the bottom corner.
Napoli doubled their lead just six minutes later from a set-piece. Eljif Elmas whipped a dangerous corner into the box and Amir Rrahmani rose highest to head beyond the goalkeeper. Pisa struggled to recover after conceding twice in quick succession and rarely threatened Alex Meret before half-time. Conte’s side controlled possession comfortably and looked dangerous whenever they attacked in transition. Hojlund continued to stretch Pisa’s backline with clever movement, while McTominay dictated the tempo from midfield.
Napoli remained disciplined after the interval and prevented Pisa from building sustained pressure. The home side attempted to respond through crosses and long-range efforts, but Napoli’s defence stayed compact throughout the second half.
Hojlund nearly added a third midway through the half when he dragged a shot narrowly wide after cutting inside from the left. Pisa goalkeeper Adrian Semper also produced a solid save to deny Matteo Politano during another dangerous Napoli counter-attack.
The Danish striker eventually got his goal deep into stoppage time. Pasquale Mazzocchi delivered a low pass across the area and Hojlund applied a composed finish from close range to complete the victory. The goal took his Serie A tally to 11 for the season and sparked celebrations among the travelling supporters.
Napoli controlled large spells of the contest and finished with 76 percent possession overall. Conte’s side registered 10 total shots, with seven efforts on target compared to Pisa’s four. The visitors also generated the higher expected goals tally at 1.11 xG, while Pisa managed just 0.82 xG across the match. Napoli completed over 500 passes and rarely looked troubled defensively after taking the early two-goal advantage.
Hojlund’s contribution proved decisive once again. The 23-year-old has now delivered 15 goals and six assists across all competitions this season since arriving on loan from Manchester United.
Following the match, Hojlund confirmed his move from Manchester United will now become permanent. Napoli’s Champions League qualification triggered the obligation-to-buy clause included in the original loan agreement. The transfer will reportedly cost Napoli around £38 million once officially processed during the summer transfer window. Hojlund admitted the farewell to Manchester United felt emotional but thanked Napoli supporters for helping him rediscover confidence in Italy.
Napoli can still secure second place in Serie A by securing a positive result when they face Udinese on the final day next weekend. Pisa, meanwhile, will look to finish their campaign positively after suffering another difficult evening against one of the league’s strongest sides.
