Napoli dominated from start to finish, beating Juventus 2–1 thanks to a brace from Rasmus Højlund, while Kenan Yildiz briefly levelled the score with a slick team move. David Neres and Scott McTominay were standout performers, and Michele Di Gregorio kept Juventus alive with several outstanding saves that stopped the result becoming a heavy defeat. Israel Schmidt de Azevedo explored the key tactical themes from the match.
Napoli vs Juventus was an entertaining match, with Napoli sticking to their new tactical structure and Juventus introducing fresh ideas. With no Vlahović available and Spalletti deciding to leave Openda and Jonathan David on the bench, Juventus played without a traditional centre-forward, using two mobile attackers instead.
There was also a notable change in how the centre-backs were used; instead of one stepping ahead of two, the central centre-back now stayed deeper. Juventus also selected less advanced wing-backs than usual, and surprisingly used Koopmeiners as a side centre-back.
In the 6th minute, David Neres played a short corner to Elmas, who returned it to him. Neres crossed to McTominay at the back post, who headed narrowly wide into the side netting.
When defending, Juventus narrowed their back line, with the wing-backs dropping deep to act as full-backs, trying to close central gaps. Ahead of them, Locatelli held a position near the box, with Thuram and McKennie acting almost as centre-backs in front. The two attackers formed the first defensive line, starting the press.
Napoli tried to attack in two main layers: the centre-forward with the two supporting attackers close to him, and then a second line of wing-backs and midfielders pushing up to compress space near the box. Behind them, the side centre-backs positioned wide like full-backs, supporting wide combinations and preventing counters.
In the 7th minute, Di Lorenzo played a long through ball down the flank to Neres, who beat Koopmeiners to the byline and delivered a low cross. Lloyd Kelly made a crucial error, allowing Højlund to get goal-side. Højlund slid in and scored to give Napoli a 1–0 lead.
In the 25th minute, Lang played a short corner to Elmas before receiving it back to cross. Di Lorenzo redirected the ball, looping it over the defence and almost over Di Gregorio. The Juventus goalkeeper reacted brilliantly to keep it out and deny Napoli a second goal.
When Juventus attempted a higher press, the two attackers pushed onto Napoli’s defenders, with a midfield three blocking central lanes. Behind them, the wing-backs and three centre-backs positioned to cut off long balls from Napoli.
Napoli responded by stretching the pitch with a wide back three, advancing the central centre-back, and dropping both central midfielders to assist ball progression. The wing-backs stayed high and wide, offering quick options. The forwards waited ahead to accelerate transitions.
In the 34th minute, Juventus won a free-kick after pressing successfully. Yildiz rolled the ball to Locatelli before receiving it back, then chipped a cross to Lloyd Kelly, who went through on goal but skied his finish. The referee then signalled offside.
In the 46th minute, Lang delivered another corner, and McTominay found space to head the ball off the outside of the post, another big chance for Napoli.
When Napoli pressed, they formed a diamond, with Elmas close to the front trio. Behind them, the wing-backs protected the flanks just ahead of halfway, and McTominay dropped into the back line, opening the left centre-back wide like a full-back. The right centre-back did likewise, with Rrahmani staying central alongside McTominay.
Juventus aimed to bypass this by pushing Kalulu out as a right-back and dropping Juan Cabal from wing-back to left-back. Locatelli moved deep to help with distribution, McKennie advanced alongside Yildiz as a second attacker, and Francisco Conceição occupied central spaces. Cambiasso drifted inside into midfield, acting like a mezzala and filling the space left by McKennie.
On the rare occasions Juventus attacked, McKennie moved close to the attacking pair, almost acting as a false nine, pushing forward when necessary. Cambiasso and Juan Cabal worked wider, with a defensive line of five behind them. Locatelli dropped deep to improve central distribution, and Thuram played higher up as a centre-back on the ball, helping creativity from deep areas. Koopmeiners and Kalulu stayed wide like wing-backs, securing the flanks and adding numbers.
Napoli defended by bringing their wing-backs down into full-back positions, compacting the defensive line. Ahead of them, the second attackers positioned narrowly like auxiliary wing-backs, and Højlund stayed alone as the highest player.
Early in the second half, in the 49th minute, Højlund carried the ball inside against Lloyd Kelly and beat him before striking powerfully, forcing another outstanding save from Di Gregorio. In the 55th minute, McTominay took a dangerous free-kick toward the keeper’s side, missing just wide.
In the 58th minute, Locatelli slide-tackled Højlund cleanly, the ball falling to Cambiasso, who passed to Yildiz and received it back via a backheel. Cambiasso switched to Francisco Conceição, who quickly returned it to Yildiz. He chipped forward to McKennie, who played a through ball to Yildiz entering the box. Yildiz finished first-time into the far corner to make it 1–1.
In the 60th minute, Neres delivered a corner to Rrahmani at the near post, who headed the ball past the defence and just wide. In the 78th minute, Neres cut inside and crossed from the right. McKennie tried to intercept the header intended for Lang but unintentionally sent the ball toward the centre. Højlund reacted quickly, heading in to put Napoli 2–1 up. Di Gregorio touched the ball but couldn’t stop it.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe match was largely one-sided, with Napoli dominating from start to finish. McTominay and Neres were outstanding alongside Højlund, who scored twice. Napoli could easily have scored three or four more in the first half, and Juventus struggled badly without a centre-forward, unable to retain the ball or escape Napoli’s press.
The second half continued in a similar style, aside from Juventus’ equalising move, created brilliantly through Yildiz’s combination play with Cambiasso, Conceição, and McKennie. Despite the goal, Napoli struck again and could have scored several more, with Di Gregorio preventing a heavy defeat. Spalletti now needs to reconsider his tactical choices and how Juventus can improve.
On the other hand, Antonio Conte has rebuilt Napoli after losing De Bruyne, increasing both chance creation and overall quality. Neres has emerged as a key player, gaining more minutes, and Mathias Olivera has improved significantly since moving to centre-back from left wing-back.
Embed from Getty ImagesWritten by Israel Schmidt de Azevedo
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