Napoli extended their impeccable beginning to their Serie A title defense by securing a 2-0 victory over a 10-man Sassuolo on Sunday. Meanwhile, Juventus navigated through penalty controversy in a hard-fought 1-1 draw with a determined Bologna side.
In Napoli’s first home match since clinching the league championship for the third time in June, Victor Osimhen notched his third goal of the season from the penalty spot 15 minutes into the game. Captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo sealed Napoli’s victory in the 64th minute, shortly after Maxime Lopez was sent off. Giacomo Raspadori, who had previously struck the post just seconds into the match, missed a penalty opportunity by blasting the ball into the stands.
Di Lorenzo expressed his contentment with the team’s performance, stating, “We played well, maintained possession, and we’re delighted to secure the win in front of our supporters.” He further emphasized the team’s cohesive play, describing Napoli’s promising start to the season and the positive team attitude that bodes well for their campaign.
Di Lorenzo’s first goal of the season was orchestrated by Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, who made an impactful return to the field an hour into the match. Kvaratskhelia, known for his prowess in setting up goals, demonstrated his skill by creating an opportunity for Di Lorenzo to net a straightforward low finish.
Despite the early stage of the season, Napoli is showing signs of being a formidable contender under the guidance of new coach Rudi Garcia. Garcia has taken on the challenging task of following in the footsteps of Luciano Spalletti, the architect behind Napoli’s previous Scudetto triumph. Napoli shares the top spot in the league table with AC Milan and Verona.
In the upcoming fixture, Napoli will host Lazio, a team that has yet to secure a point after suffering a 1-0 loss to Promoted Genoa. Lazio, who finished as runners-up last season, was defeated due to a goal from Italy forward Mateo Retegui, marking his first Serie A goal since joining from Boca Juniors during the summer transfer window.
Bologna’s Frustration over Denied Penalty Bologna left Turin feeling outraged after being held to a draw by Juventus. The visitors were left contemplating what could have been after a clear penalty incident went unpunished just before Dusan Vlahovic’s late equalizer for Juventus.
Vlahovic headed in the equalizing goal for Juventus with 10 minutes remaining, leveling the score after Lewis Ferguson had put Bologna ahead midway through the first half. Bologna’s frustration stemmed from an incident where Samuel Iling-Junior, who later assisted Vlahovic’s goal, impeded Dan Ndoye and prevented him from tapping in from close range. Both on-field and VAR officials failed to award a penalty for the incident.
The decision, or lack thereof, provoked a strong post-match response from Bologna’s CEO Claudio Fenucci, while coach Thiago Motta declined to engage with the media. Fenucci expressed his disbelief, noting that the failure to penalize such a challenge with a red card and penalty was inconceivable.
Despite the return of Paul Pogba to the midfield after a year plagued by injuries, Juventus couldn’t secure all three points. Pogba’s impact was limited as a second-half substitute, and Juventus struggled to find a decisive breakthrough.
Juve’s lackluster performance cast doubts on their potential resurgence as title contenders. Pogba, reflecting on his return, expressed mixed feelings about the outcome, stating, “I’m obviously glad to be back… but I’m also somewhat disappointed with the result.” Nevertheless, he found solace in the fact that Juventus avoided a defeat.
In another match, Lecce orchestrated a comeback by leveling the score 2-2 against Fiorentina, rebounding from a two-goal deficit at halftime. Hamza Rafia and Nikola Krstovic were the scorers for Lecce.
