Scott McTominay's sizzling stats as Napoli go joint top - but another Scotland star hogs Serie A limelight

The pressure was on Napoli to win at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona after leaders Atalanta slipped up the day before against Lazio by drawing 1-1, with Gli Azzurri knowing that a win would move them joint-top of the Italian league going into 2025.

Antonio Conte’s side left it late to bag all three points against a resolute Venezia, finally breaking the deadlock on 79 minutes when substitute Giacomo Raspadori found the net. Earlier in the match, Romelu Lukaku had a penalty saved by visiting goalkeeper Filip Stankovic.

McTominay played the full match and was one of Napoli’s most creative players, completing 75 per cent of his 40 attempted passes, laying on three big chances, taking seven touches in the opposition penalty box and winning 100 per cent of his tackles. The 28-year-old continues to be a major success story since moving to Naples in the summer from Manchester United.

McTominay’s fellow Scotland internationalist Billy Gilmour was an unused substitute for the second Napoli game in a row and has not started since the start of the month when losing in the Coppa Italia to Lazio.

Napoli, who finished outside of the European places in Serie A last season, end 2024 at the summit on 41 points alongside Atalanta, who do have a superior goal difference. Defending champions Internazionale have played one game fewer and are on 40 points in third, with Lazio a further five points behind in fourth place.

While McTominay was instrumental in helping Napoli get over the line, his weekend exploits were usurped by his Scotland teammate Che Adams, who scored a goal and provided an assist as Torino battled back from two goals down to land a 2-2 draw away at Udinese.

Paolo Vanoli’s side looked on course to lose at the Stadio Friuli in the early Serie A kick-off on Sunday after Isaak Toure and Lorenzo Lucca fired Udinese ahead, only for I Toro to roar back.

Adams sparked the comeback on 53 minutes, netting from close range from a rebound, before setting up midfielder Samuele Ricci for the leveller on 64 minutes. The Scot was named man of the match for his efforts.

Adams, 28, has now scored six goals and laid on three assists since making the move from Southampton to Turin in the summer. Torino end the year in tenth place in Serie A.

In terms of the other Scots in Serie A, midfielder Liam Henderson played an hour for Empoli as they went down 2-1 at home to Genoa, while Lewis Ferguson will aim to help Bologna sign off on a high when the midfielder and Rossoblu skipper takes on Verona on Monday night at the Stadio Renato Dell’Ara.