A masterstroke from Ekkelenkamp was enough for Udinese to defeat Napoli and secure a crucial victory in front of their home crowd. At the Bluenergy Stadium, the match ended 1-0, a deserved victory for the Friulians, especially with their second-half display. This left Conte's team stuck on 31 points, overtaken by AC Milan and awaiting the outcome of Inter's match. Udinese, meanwhile, climbed to 21 points, reviving their ambitions and confidence.
The first half was slow-paced, with few chances and Napoli unable to truly raise their game. Udinese appeared more reactive and organized, while the Azzurri struggled to find space. In the 10th minute, Napoli's only real chance came from a low cross from Spinazzola, with Bertola decisively saving from Lang. In the 30th minute, Ekkelenkamp tried from the edge of the box, but Milinkovic-Savic blocked it wide.
In the second half, everything changed. Udinese revved up the tempo and forced Napoli to the ropes. In the 52nd minute, Davis scored after a splendid move, but the goal was ruled out for a mere millimeter offside. Udinese continued to push, and in the 59th minute, Milinkovic-Savic miraculously deflected a close-range shot from Piotrowski onto the crossbar. Napoli struggled, failed to react, and conceded. In the 69th minute, Ekkelenkamp found the net again, but it was ruled out for an early foul on Lobotka.
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The winning goal came shortly after, in the 73rd minute, and it was a cinematic one. Ekkelenkamp collected the ball and unleashed a powerful, precise right-footed shot that flew into the top corner, leaving the Italian goalkeeper with no chance. It was a goal that rewarded Udinese's superiority and punished a lackluster Napoli.
Conte tried to reshuffle the cards in the final minutes, bringing on fresh forces to try and equalize. The Azzurri had two huge chances: in the 88th minute, Hojlund spectacularly missed a shot from Lucca's pass just feet away from Okoye, and, deep into injury time, Lucca himself hit the outside of the post with a diving header. It was the final straw in a bitter evening. Napoli suffered their second consecutive defeat after the European defeat against Benfica and returned home with more than a few alarm bells ringing.
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Comments (1)
The match was interesting, even though Napoli didn't give their best. Udinese played well, but I would have liked to see more attacking moves from the Azzurri. I hope they bounce back in the next match.