New Delhi: At the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, Napoli defeat Juventus 2-1 after a spectacular comeback from a halftime goal deficit. For the majority of the first half, Napoli were flat, creating some chances but not being able to find a shot on goal or really bother Di Gregorio. Early in the sixth minute, Meret had enough time to move off his line and make a huge stop with his body as Yildiz cut onto his left foot and fired his shot at goal during a one-on-one encounter. Koopmeiners attempted a follow-up shot within the box, but ultimately missed the mark.
Then it was David Neres who crossed the ball low and early to Frank Anguissa. After the Cameroon international managed to fend off challenge from opposition, Matteo Politano attempted to take a shot from around five yards outside the area as the ball rolled on, but his effort rose too high and missed the far post.
Lobotka rushed onto the ball from midfield and has a fantastic shot at goal after it is clipped out of a group of pressures and into his path. The effort zipped past the top corner, and he hit it so perfectly that there was just a bit too much air on it. Di Gregorio made an optimistic dive, not knowing where that was going. Fortunately for him, the attempt missed the mark by only a few inches.
However, right before the first half, Randal Kolo Muani scored the goal on his debut after Yildiz received a wide pass and skillfully crossed it to Kolo Muani, who was waiting in the middle of the box. Rrahmani swatted it away, but only as far as Locatelli and Lobotka, who both simultaneously challenged for it. Kolo Muani took a fantastic shot on the turn to slide past Meret and into the bottom corner after it pinballed up and looped for him. The score rema
The hosts turn it around in the second half
Napoli come from behind to win at the Maradona! 🔥🌋#NapoliJuve pic.twitter.com/jUXTHzSk6n
— Lega Serie A (@SerieA_EN) January 25, 2025
Anguissa’s incredible header put the home team back in the game! After a beautiful build-up from the hosts, Politano put a nice cross into the box from the right side. The target was Lukaku inside the box, but Anguissa took good advantage of Juve’s strong markings on the Belgian and managed to sneak his header into the far post with just one bounce making it 1-1 in the 57th minute. Almost the whole second half was dominated by Napoli, who took the lead when Manuel Locatelli shoved Scott McTominay in the box, causing him to challenge from behind.
In Europe’s Big Five leagues, Lukaku scored his 200th goal when he stepped up to take the penalty and put it past Di Gregorio. Simeone did a fantastic job of latching onto the ball as Meret kicked it upfield. Before attempting to square it across the six-yard box for an attack, he outpaced substitute Savona, leaving the defender in the dust. However, Douglas Luiz made the timely clearance, and there was no Napoli player present and it remained 2-1.
With this outcome, Napoli extends their lead over second-place Inter by six points at the top of the league, while Juventus temporarily stays in fifth position. Next weekend, Napoli will play Roma in Serie A, while Juventus will turn their attention slightly to the Champions League, hosting Benfica in the middle of the week.
Player of the match: Matteo Politano
What a match the Italian winger had against Napoli’s top rivals! Often seen as one of Napoli’s unsung heroes, Politano yet again showed how important he is to this squad. He set up the first goal, picking up his first assist of the season with a lovely clipped cross from the right wing. He spotted Romelu Lukaku marked out and picked out Frank Anguissa with brilliant precision. He had a tremendous game as he was heavily involved in each of the good offensive moves that Napoli managed to create. This might just be his third goal contribution of the season, but his presence on the pitch have truly benefitted Antonio Conte’s side this season.
Napoli pulled off a thrilling 2-1 comeback victory over Juventus in the Serie A 2024/25 season, further solidifying their position at the top of the table. Football Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
