Antonio Conte's Napoli beat Juventus 2-1 at the Diego Armando Maradona on matchday 22 of Serie A, consolidating their lead in the standings at the end of a match full of emotions and twists.
The Azzurri, now at 53 points, extend their lead to +6 over Inter, who however still have two games to make up. For Thiago Motta's Juventus, stuck at 37 points, a defeat that complicates the race for the Champions League. Thiago Motta immediately launches the new arrival Kolo Muani, taken from PSG, preferring him to Vlahovic. In attack, the former Nantes player is supported by Nico Gonzalez and Yildiz, while McKennie is adapted as a right back. Antonio Conte, on the other hand, lines up Politano and Neres on the sides of Lukaku, with Lobotka as director and Spinazzola on the left wing.
Juve strikes with Kolo Muani, then the comeback
Juventus started strong and almost took the lead in the 7th minute: Thuram sent an inviting ball into the area, Kolo Muani played it to Yildiz, who skipped past a defender and finished, but Meret outdid himself and saved Napoli. In the 43rd minute, however, it was Kolo Muani who broke the deadlock: a perfect control and volley after an involuntary deflection by Anguissa gave the Bianconeri the lead. Napoli tried to react, but struggled to capitalize. In the 47th minute, Politano almost tied the game with a free kick that ended just wide.
The second half opens with an aggressive Napoli. In the 50th minute, Di Gregorio performs a miracle, deflecting a close-range header from Lukaku. The equalizer, however, comes in the 57th minute: Politano invents a precise cross for Anguissa, who heads past everyone and scores the 1-1. Conte's team continues to push and completes the comeback in the 69th minute: Lukaku serves a perfect ball to McTominay, who is brought down in the area by Locatelli. The referee awards the penalty, and Lukaku himself doesn't miss from the spot, giving the 2-1 to the Azzurri.
Thiago Motta attempted to change the momentum of the match with a series of substitutions: Savona, Mbangula, Douglas Luiz, Conceicao, and Vlahovic came on , but the team struggled to create dangerous chances. Napoli, however, kept up the pressure and came close to scoring a third goal, managing the game without too much risk until the final whistle.
