'An old fox!' - Scott McTominay praised for 'clever' performance by Italian media as Napoli sneak past Lecce to boost title hopes

The Scottish midfielder started and played the full 90 minutes as Napoli beat Lecce 1-0 courtesy of a goal from Giacomo Raspadori on Saturday. The win helped them to maintain their three-point lead over Inter at the top of the table, as Antonio Conte's side are now edging closer to reclaiming the Serie A title. While McTominay did not contribute with a goal or an assist, he had an impressive outing for his side, which garnered praise from the Italian media.

La Gazzetta dello Sport praised the Scotland international midfielder's "intelligent" performance on the pitch in Napoli's narrow win over Lecce.

Sky Sports in Germany, on the other hand, gave McTominay a 6/10 rating for his performance at Stadio Via del mare.

Corriere dello Sport rated the ex-United 7/10 as they wrote: "The clever move on Raspa's shot - he covers Falcone's view and then drops - is that of an old fox and is worth half a goal. He always comes inside the field, making Kaba and Helgason lose their bearings. The most interesting things often come from his plays, despite the doubling up."

Napoli fans wholeheartedly praised the 28-year-old's performance as they hailed the midfielder on social media.

An X handle with the name @victorersantos wrote: "What a great rehearsed play by Napoli. McTominay not only distracts the Lecce goalkeeper, but also reduces his field of vision on the wall."

Guido Olivares declared McTominay as the MVP as the post read: "If we win it, the MVP is McTominay hands down."

A fan named Noorie claimed that McTominay is currently better than English midfielder Jude Bellingham, as he wrote: "Wallahi McTominay is better than Bellingham."

Conte's side will be back in action in the Serie A on May 11 as they take on Genoa at home.