Rampant Napoli crush rivals Juventus to extend lead at top of Serie A
Backed by a vociferous home crowd, league leaders Napoli looked to assert their aggressive style on second-placed Juventus, and it took them just 14 minutes to break down a Bianconeri defence that hadn’t conceded in eight SA matches.
Having seen his maiden effort denied minutes earlier, Victor Osimhen was alert to head home, after Wojciech Szczęsny had impressively saved Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s acrobatic attempt.
The visitors rallied, as Amir Rrahmani’s poor pass gave Ángel Di María Juventus’ first glimpse of goal, but the Argentine’s shot hit the woodwork on its way behind, keeping Napoli in front.
Merciless as ever, the hosts would double their advantage in the 39th minute, doing so when Kvaratskhelia profited from Osimhen’s selfless pass in front of goal to tuck the ball into the bottom corner.
However, the home crowd were stunned when Di María provided the instant response Juventus needed, clinically finishing from Arkadiusz Milik’s lay-off.
Alex Meret then prevented a shock equaliser mere seconds before HT, as he outstandingly saved Rrahmani’s awkward attempted clearance from Federico Chiesa’s cross.
Napoli regained some composure during the break, and Osimhen embarked on a great run behind Alex Sandro before being denied by Szczęsny.
But there was absolutely nothing the goalkeeper could do when Rrahmani scored his first of the season, via an incredible hit from the ensuing corner.
Having already been let off once for a loose pass, Gleison Bremer lost possession near his own box in the 65th minute, and the league’s top-scorer made no mistake as Osimhen headed Kvaratskhelia’s cross home to make it a resounding 4-1.
By now, Luciano Spalletti’s men were simply driving forward at will, and Eljif Elmas’ shot deflected in off Alex Sandro just seven minutes later, as Napoli added yet another layer of gloss to their 10th consecutive home victory.
On a potentially historic night for the club, Gli Azzurri continued their hunt for a first Scudetto since 1990 in ruthless fashion, emphatically ending Juventus’ eight-match winning run in the league.
As an added bonus, Napoli’s glut of goals made this only the second clash in this fixture’s 94-year history to see them put five past the Old Lady.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Victor Osimhen (SSC Napoli)
