Kerim Alajbegović’s first Serie A goal and Jérémie Boga’s late curler gave Juventus a 2-0 win over Napoli, who finished with ten men after Luca Marianucci’s second yellow card. The result lifts Luciano Spalletti’s side to seventh in Serie A.
Turin, Italy: Juventus had won only one of their previous four league games, and for most of Sunday’s match at the Allianz Stadium the old doubts hung over them again. Napoli’s Lorenzo Lucca had a header kept out early on, a Juan Cabal effort struck the frame of the goal, and Juventus needed two goals in the last twenty minutes to turn pressure into a win.
Chances come and go
The first hour was a contest of near-misses. Lucca’s header was kept out by Guglielmo Vicario, Cabal hit the woodwork, and Alajbegović saw a drive saved by Napoli goalkeeper Alex Meret late in the first half. Nick Woltemade failed to convert from six yards after a Koopmeiners pull-back, and Bremer headed a Douglas Luiz cross straight at Meret. Napoli’s Marianucci had already been booked in the first half.
Alajbegović breaks through
The breakthrough came in the 70th minute. Alajbegović struck from about 20 yards into the top corner, and it was his first goal in Serie A. It ended a long spell in which Juventus had created chances without taking them.
A red card and Boga’s finish
Five minutes later Napoli lost Marianucci. Already on a yellow card, he was shown a second for a challenge on Cabal in the 75th minute and sent off. Juventus, who had kept their patience, finally had a numerical advantage, and in the 87th minute substitute Boga cut in from the left and curled a right-footed shot into the far bottom corner from outside the box to make it 2-0.
What it means for the table
The win lifts Juventus to 17 points and seventh place, with five wins, two draws and three defeats from ten matches. Napoli drop to 14 points and eighth after their fourth league defeat of the season. For Spalletti, whose side drew 2-2 with Rennes in the Europa League and beat Celta Vigo in stoppage time earlier this month, it eased some of the pressure that had built after a patchy run in the league.
Serie A, matchday 10: Juventus 2 (Alajbegović 70’, Boga 87’), Napoli 0. Red card: Luca Marianucci (Napoli) 75’, second yellow. Venue: Allianz Stadium, Turin.
