MY ACCOUNT
Napoli ended Juventus’ eight-match winning run without conceding in Serie A with an emphatic 5-1 victory in Friday’s top-of-the-table clash to move 10 points clear at the summit.
Juve had gone on a remarkable run of form since losing to Milan in early October, but their defence was finally breached by Victor Osimhen with 14 minutes played.
Osimhen turned provider by playing in Khvicha Kvaratskhelia for Napoli’s second at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, but Angel Di Maria pulled one back before half-time.
However, Luciano Spalletti’s side pulled clear through another goal from Osimhen, either side of strikes from Amir Rrahmani and Elif Elmas, to put one hand on the Scudetto.
Napoli edged in front when Wojciech Szczesny palmed Kvaratskhelia’s acrobatic attempt into the path of Osimhen for a simple finish from close range.
Di Maria sent a dipping effort against the crossbar, but Kvaratskhelia doubled Napoli’s lead with a composed finish after Bremer’s error allowed Osimhen to play his team-mate in.
Juve gave themselves a lifeline through Di Maria’s low finish past Szczesny after exchanging passes with Arkadiusz Milik, though Napoli should have cut out the danger.
Meret did brilliantly to prevent Rrahmani putting into his own net and that proved an even bigger save when the same player fired in on the half-volley from a corner.
The hosts were out of sight with 65 minutes gone as, after more sloppy play from Bremer, Kvaratskhelia and Osimhen again linked up for the latter to header across Szczesny.
Elmas, brought on at half-time for the injured Matteo Politano, added a fifth for Napoli with a shot that deflected in off Alex Sandro to round off a five-star showing.
What does it mean? Scudetto in sight for Spalletti’s side
This was a game between the side with the best attack in Serie A and the team with the best defensive record – and Juve quite simply could not live with Napoli’s attack.
Napoli made a mockery of Juve’s run of eight straight shutouts with a win that moves them 10 clear, though Milan can reduce that to seven when they face Lecce on Saturday.
Spalletti’s side have now won four in a row at home to Juve in the league for just the second time ever and are fast closing in on a first Scudetto since the 1989-1990 campaign.
Juve’s defence crumbles
Juventus had gone 770 minutes without conceding in Serie A – their fifth-longest streak in the competition – prior to Osimhen scoring the first of Napoli’s five goals.
Not one visiting defender can say they had a good game, but Bremer in particular had a shocker, the Brazil international directly at fault for two of the opposition’s strikes.
Napoli’s attack run riot
This is the first time Juventus have conceded five goals in a Serie A match since also going down 5-1 to Pescara in May 1993.
Osimhen scored one and assisted another, but Kvaratskhelia was arguably even better as he played a part in four of the goals in a superb attacking display from Napoli.
Key Opta Facts
– Napoli are the third team to secure at least 47 points after 18 Serie A games (Juventus four, Inter one). All five previous teams to hit that mark have gone on to win the title.
– Napoli have won four consecutive Serie A home matches against Juventus for the first time since a spell from 2007-2011.
– Juventus have conceded five goals in a Serie A match for the first time since May 1993, a 5-1 defeat to Pescara.
– Kvaratskhelia is one of three players to have hit at least seven goals and seven assists in Europe’s top-five leagues this term, alongside Paris Saint-Germain duo Lionel Messi and Neymar.
What’s next?
Runaway leaders Napoli host bottom side Cremonese on Tuesday, while Juve have a Coppa Italia last-16 tie against Monza up next in six days’ time.
