Serie A | Napoli 2-1 Juventus: Hero Hojlund ruins Spalletti return

A brace from Rasmus Hojlund allowed Napoli to beat Juventus 2-1 and inflict the first defeat for their former boss Luciano Spalletti, despite the Kenan Yildiz temporary equaliser.

This was the first time Luciano Spalletti had visited the Stadio Maradona since winning the Scudetto in 2023, but also the first time ever he had faced Antonio Conte. Both teams had an injury crisis to deal with and were coming off midweek Coppa Italia wins. Dusan Vlahovic and Federico Gatti both had surgery, joining Gleison Bremer, Daniele Rugani and Arek Milik on the sidelines, so Kenan Yildiz was launched as a new centre-forward with Weston McKennie in a more advanced role too. Stanislav Lobotka was ruled out with Billy Gilmour, Andre Frank Zambo Anguissa, Miguel Gutierrez, Kevin De Bruyne, Alex Meret and Romelu Lukaku, so Eljif Elmas stepped in.

See how it all unfolded on the Liveblog.

Scott McTominay’s free header on a David Neres corner skimmed the back post from six yards, but it was only a warning, as Napoli scored moments later.

Neres got away from Juan Cabal again and beyond Teun Koopmeiners to pull back from the by-line, where Rasmus Hojlund got there in front of Lloyd Kelly to toe-poke in from six yards across Michele Di Gregorio. It was his first goal in two months.

Napoli lead within seven minutes against Juventus!

Rasmus Hojlund gets the goal

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Giovanni Di Lorenzo’s looping header on a Noa Lang short corner routine was acrobatically fingertipped over the bar by Di Gregorio.

Kenan Yildiz twice got down the left to pull back, once with Francisco Conceicao blasting off target, then McTominay got back for the crucial interception as McKennie was ready to tap in from six yards.

Kelly’s blushes were spared by the offside flag for ballooning over from close range on a free kick routine, while on the stroke of half-time another McTominay header from a corner grazed the near post.

With an xG of just 0.04 in the first half, Spalletti introduced striker Jonathan David for the struggling Juan Cabal.

Hojlund surged forward without being closed down and his effort was palmed over the bar by Di Gregorio, while Napoli wanted a red card rather than yellow for Pierre Kalulu’s studs-up challenge catching Matias Olivera high on the boot.

McTominay’s free kick was drilled inches wide, but it was Juventus who equalised with their first real chance of the game. Kenan Yildiz went on the counter and completed a give and go with McKennie down the right, sweeping a snooker shot across Vanja Milinkovic-Savic into the far bottom corner from a tricky angle. It was the first shot on target from the Old Lady.

Game on in Naples! Kenan Yildiz fires home to draw Juventus level

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However, Napoli restored their advantage when McKennie tried to clear a Neres cross at the back post, but instead accidentally knocked it down as an assist for Hojlund to nod in from four yards.

Napoli retake the lead, and it's Rasmus Hojlund at the double! A poacher's goal as he bundles the ball home after the header back across goal to give Napoli a 2-1 lead.

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Spalletti had been unbeaten since taking the Juventus job, overseeing four wins and three draws in all competition, but his return to the Stadio Maradona was a painful one, as Edon Zhegrova’s finish in stoppages was straight at Milinkovic-Savic.

Napoli 2-1 Juventus

Hojlund 7, 78 (N), Kenan Yildiz 59 (J)