Dries Mertens scores Napoli’s first two goals of the season in three minutes

The season got off to a rough start for Napoli, but an hour into their first match of the season against Pescara, Dries Mertens scored their first two goals of the season just three minutes apart, and only moments after coming off the bench.

His first was an excellent strike, driven sharply and with just enough of a fading curl to it to keep the goalkeeper from having a chance at getting a hand to it. If there’s any “classic” Dries Mertens style of goal, that’s the one, because he’s scored more than a few just like it throughout his career.

The second was much simpler in terms of the finis, but look at Arek Milik’s movement there. He doesn’t touch the ball himself, but his little move to the near post sucked the defender over who did touch the ball over to Dries, indirectly creating the goal. And even if the defender hadn’t touched it and the ball went through, Mertens probably scores anyways because Milik’s run had sucked the defender out of that space. That’s the exact kind of play that makes Milik so interesting for Napoli.

Not a bad start, but let’s make it a hat trick, eh Dries?