Juventus got back to winning form by defeating Napoli 2-0 in Serie A, courtesy of stunning long-distance strikes from Kerim Alajbegovic and Jeremie Boga. The away team had to play with 10 men after Luca Marianucci was given a red card, which made their challenge even harder.
Both teams went into the game tied on 14 points and feeling the need to get a good result. Juventus had lost three of their last four league matches, including a 2-0 loss at Genoa, while Napoli came in following a convincing 4-1 victory over Monza.
Juventus and Napoli generate opportunities in an end-to-end first half
Napoli almost went ahead after eight minutes when Lorenzo Lucca connected with Matteo Politano’s cross using a diving header. Guglielmo Vicario made a great save to stop the attempt, preventing the forward from scoring a memorable goal on a rare start.
Juventus also looked dangerous from set pieces. Juan Cabal’s header from a corner hit the woodwork, and the home side later had penalty claims of their own after Cabal collided with Matias Olivera. No penalty was given to either team, despite more appeals from Napoli after incidents involving Noa Lang and Juventus’ defenders.
Both teams squandered good chances. Lang and Alajbegovic shot over from promising positions, and Bremer also sent his effort over the bar after Alajbegovic had dribbled past two opponents.
In first-half added time, Alajbegovic forced Alex Meret into a save with a strong angled shot from inside the box. The Napoli goalkeeper kept it out, and Pierre Kalulu could not score from the rebound.
Alajbegovic and Boga score spectacular goals for Juventus
There were tactical adjustments at halftime, with Luca Marianucci shifting to right-back as Juventus seemed to change to a 3-5-2 formation. Kolo Muani then wasted a good counter-attacking chance by overhitting his pass to Alajbegovic.
The deadlock was finally broken by a piece of individual skill. Alajbegovic picked up the ball near the edge of the penalty area and fired a powerful shot into the top corner, with the ball going in off the far post to give Juventus the lead.
Napoli’s chances of coming back took another hit when Marianucci got a second yellow card for stepping on Cabal’s foot, reducing the visitors to 10 men. Matias Olivera also had to leave the field due to a muscle issue.
Juventus capitalized on their extra man by scoring a second goal through Boga. His strike was nearly a copy of Alajbegovic’s opener, as he curled a right-footed shot from outside the box into the far bottom corner to seal the 2-0 win.
The result provided Juventus with a much-needed reply after their recent league difficulties, while Napoli were left to think about a loss that grew harder after Marianucci’s sending off.