Juventus 2-0 Napoli: Alajbegovic and Boga ease pressure on Spalletti as Juve climb above Napoli
Teenager Kerim Alajbegovic scored his first Serie A goal and Jeremie Boga added a second as 10-man Napoli fell to a fourth league defeat in Turin.
Luciano Spalletti got the response he needed. Juventus beat Napoli 2-0 at the Allianz Stadium on Sunday night in Turin, with teenager Kerim Alajbegovic and substitute Jeremie Boga scoring in the last 20 minutes. The result lifts Juventus to seventh in Serie A and drops Napoli, who finished with 10 men, to eighth.
A tense game settled late
For more than an hour, there was little to separate the two sides, who started the night level on 14 points. The mood inside the stadium soured at times. Yahoo Sports reported that home fans jeered their own team in the second half after a loose pass from Randal Kolo Muani.
The breakthrough came in the 70th minute. Edon Zhegrova got past Amir Rrahmani and set up Alajbegovic, who struck from around 20 yards into the top corner. It was the young Bosnian's first goal in Serie A.
Five minutes later, Napoli's task became much harder. Defender Luca Marianucci received a second yellow card for a rash challenge on Juan Cabal and was sent off.
Juventus made the extra player count in the 87th minute. Boga, who had replaced Alajbegovic, curled a shot into the far corner after a flowing team move to make it 2-0.
Napoli without their head coach
Napoli were without coach Massimiliano Allegri on the touchline. He was serving a two-match ban after being sent off in the 3-3 draw with Roma and later punished by Serie A's sporting judge for remarks to the officials. Assistant coach Landucci took charge in Turin for the second game in a row. Napoli were also missing midfielder Stanislav Lobotka through an ankle injury.
It was Napoli's fourth league defeat of the season after 10 games.
Juventus had their own absences. Spalletti has been working without several key players this autumn, including Kenan Yildiz, Khephren Thuram and Manuel Locatelli. Before Sunday, Juventus had won just one of their previous four league matches.
Serie A table after Round 10
Lazio lead Serie A on 28 points after beating Cagliari 2-1 on Sunday, back on top of the table for the first time in 16 years. Inter are second on 25 despite losing the Milan derby on Saturday. Roma (24), Como (23) and Milan (21) complete the top five.
Juventus now have 17 points, six behind Como in fourth, the last Champions League place. Napoli stay on 14, level with Bologna.
Other Sunday results included Como 1-0 Venezia, Frosinone 2-0 Torino and Lecce 1-2 Genoa. The round finishes on Monday with Sassuolo v Fiorentina and Atalanta v Parma.
Next up for both clubs
Napoli are straight back in Champions League action on Wednesday, away to Porto. That match kicks off at 4am on Thursday 5 November in Malaysia.
Key takeaways
- Juventus beat Napoli 2-0 with goals from Kerim Alajbegovic (70') and Jeremie Boga (87').
- Napoli defender Luca Marianucci was sent off for a second booking in the 75th minute.
- Allegri was banned, so assistant Landucci led Napoli from the bench.
- Juventus move to 17 points, six off the top four; Napoli stay on 14.
- Lazio remain top of Serie A on 28 points.
FAQ
Who scored for Juventus against Napoli? Kerim Alajbegovic scored his first Serie A goal in the 70th minute, and substitute Jeremie Boga added the second in the 87th minute.
Why was Allegri not on the Napoli bench? He was serving a two-match Serie A ban after being sent off against Roma and sanctioned for comments to the officials.
Who is top of Serie A? Lazio, with 28 points from 10 games, three points ahead of Inter.
Sources: Yahoo Sports, Football Italia, LiveScore, Goal, UEFA