Serie A 2024-25: Leader Napoli ends Juventus’ unbeaten league run with comeback win

Serie A 2024-25: Leader Napoli ends Juventus’ unbeaten league run with comeback win

Napoli staged a rousing comeback to secure a 2-1 victory over Juventus in Saturday’s action-packed clash, handing the visitor its first Serie A defeat of the season.

On-loan Randal Kolo Muani scored on his debut to give Juventus the lead two minutes before the break but Napoli fought back through Andre Frank Zambo Anguissa’s equaliser after 57 minutes and Romelu Lukaku’s penalty in the 69th to secure the win.

Napoli is top on 53 points, six ahead of Inter Milan, which has two games in hand, while Juve is fifth with 37 points.

The defeat means Juventus’ frustrating season continues, with Thiago Motta’s side having been held to 13 draws before finally suffering its first loss of the campaign to Napoli, which is now on a seven-match winning streak in the league.

The first half began at a frantic pace as Juve’s Kenan Yildiz broke free in the box but Napoli goalkeeper Alex Meret produced a stunning point-blank save and Teun Koopmeiners missed the target as he followed up on the rebound.

Juve’s aggression meant it dominated much of the first half, catching Napoli off guard as the host struggled to settle into a defensive rhythm. The Naples side’s closest effort came when Matteo Politano skimmed the crossbar early on.

Newly-acquired Kolo Muani, who on Thursday joined Juve from Paris St Germain until the end of the season, had a notable impact when the forward capitalised on a rebound to volley past Meret and break the deadlock.

After the break, Napoli pushed hard to get back into the match, with Juve keeper Michele Di Gregorio making a sensational diving save early on to just about keep out Lukaku’s header, which was two-thirds over the line before being stopped.

Roared on by a packed stadium, Napoli levelled after the break when Politano’s cross found the unmarked Zambo Anguissa, who calmly controlled the ball and slotted it into the corner of the net.

Napoli completed the turnaround when Juve’s Manuel Locatelli slid into home midfielder Scott McTominay to concede a penalty and Lukaku made no mistake with the spot kick.

In the final minutes, with the stadium buzzing, Napoli continued to press forward, looking for a third goal. However, Juve stood firm, with Weston McKennie blocking Cyril Ngonge’s attempt.

As the final whistle blew, Napoli’s players rushed forward towards the crowd in a jubilant celebration, with the team and fans knowing they had taken another step towards the possibility of winning the Scudetto again after their triumph in 2023.