Juventus 0-1 Napoli: At the end of the week of the Champions League elimination by AC Milan, Napoli turned back by winning at Juventus. Giacomo Raspadori became the match winner in Turin in a tumultuous final phase.
Raspadori saves Napoli in a spectacular final phase in Turin
Some sand seemed to have gotten into the engine at the team of trainer Luciano Spalletti. Where Napoli regularly thundered over opponents earlier this season and received praise for the eye-catching football, the top team has struggled since the start of April. In the two duels with AC Milan in the quarterfinals of the Champions League, there was not one win and in Serie A there was a loss of points against Milan (0-4) and Hellas Verona (0-0). Napoli also did not reach his top level against defensive Juve.
Juventus also showed little at the Allianz Stadium and limited itself to closing up the spaces for large parts of the game. The focus was on stopping top scorer Victor Osimhen and dribbling prodigy Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. Juve defender Federico Gatti went very far after half an hour. He not only attacked the left winger fiercely, he hit the attacker against the back with his right fist. Strangely enough, the action went unpunished.
After not a single shot on target from Napoli in the first half. Opportunities did emerge as Massimiliano Allegri’s side grew tired. Twenty minutes before the end, Osimhen finally found time and space to lash out in the penalty area. The Serie A top scorer’s shot went just wide, much to the relief of Wojciech Szczesny. Precisely when Napoli started to take more and more risks out of impatience, Juventus seemed to strike. The home team thought they could counter the 1-0 in the 83rd minute, but Ángel Di María’s goal was rejected after intervention by the VAR due to a foul on Stanislav Lobotka. A goal by Dusan Vlahovic also led to a line moments later, because the ball had already crossed the back line.
Denouement
In the third minute of extra time, the score was opened, but on the other side. Raspadori shot the ball past Szczesny from a cross by Eljif Elmas: 0-1. After the victory in Turin, Napoli can already start thinking about the festivities that are approaching. With seven rounds to go, the leader has a large lead of seventeen points over number two Lazio. Juventus are taking a setback in the battle for Champions League football. After a big windfall earlier this week by lifting the -15 points penalty . The prosecutor has one month to appeal.
