With 11 points after the opening six rounds, Lecce went into this matchup with the champions experiencing their best top-flight start since 2004/05.
Yet it was the visiting side, looking back on their lowest return at the same stage of a Serie A campaign in eight years, who made the early breakthrough.
After a goalless opening quarter-hour, a free kick from Piotr Zielinski found its way into the box, and Leo Skiri Ostigard showed great tenacity in escaping his marker to head in off the upright from six yards.
Far from wilt, Lecce showed the fighting spirit behind their decent start to 2023/24, and crafted a number of chances that showed promise.
One, in particular, got the Stadio Via del Mare jumping, as key danger man Nikola Krstovic found enough space to hit a long-range shot towards the bottom-right corner of Napoli’s net, only for Alex Meret to make a save on the stretch and deny him a leveller.
Napoli went into the half-time interval under no illusions. They knew they were in a real contest, but in the fashion of true champions, they changed that within five minutes of the restart.
It was the combination that was so often seen last term that earned the Partenopei a killer second, as Khvicha Kvaratskhelia lofted a ball into the box for Victor Osimhen to head in off the post.
Again, Lecce tried to muster a response, though Napoli still had the lion’s share of possession.
Roberto Piccoli saw a header hit the side netting after the hour mark, but for all of Lecce’s endeavours, there was never any doubt as to the destination of the three points.
The champions then showed their true pedigree with a smart move in midfield, with Gianluca Gaetano drifting in from the flank and firing hard into the far corner inside the box with mere minutes remaining.
There was also still time for Napoli to make it a truly punishing day for their punch-drunk hosts, with a penalty awarded after Yiber Ramdani holding his man inside the box.
Matteo Politano stepped up to send Wladimiro Falcone the wrong way. Napoli’s once-ailing campaign continues to gain traction, with the Neapolitans avoiding consecutive Serie A scoring blanks on the road for the first time since December 2020.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Victor Osimhen (Napoli)