Napoli thrash Juventus to Strengthen on Serie A title race

It was the most anticipated game of the 2022/23 Serie A campaign, the clash featuring the league’s most prolific attack against the league’s most solid defense.

The match, which was played before a full crowd at Diego Armando Maradona stadium, ended up being a potential watershed in the season, as Serie A leaders Napoli inflicted a sweeping 5-1 defeat over second-placed Juventus.

Juventus traveled to Naples with strong momentum, as the Bianconeri had recorded eight consecutive league wins while managing to keep a clean sheet in all eight fixtures. Prior to Friday night’s game, their defense had conceded only seven goals in 17 Serie A rounds.

Manager Massimilano Allegri opted for Italian international Federico Chiesa on the right flank in his 3-5-2 system, while the two-man attack starred 2022 World Cup champion Angel di Maria next to Arkadiusz Milik. USMNT midfielder Weston McKennie started in the right-sided mezzala position.

Napoli, in turn, entered the game as the Italian “winter champions,” which is the informal title given to the club that sits atop the Serie A table at the season’s halfway mark.

The work of head coach Luciano Spalletti has especially borne fruit this year, with the Partenopei implementing an exciting brand of soccer based on ball possession and offensive mindset. Not coincidentally, they boast the best attack in Serie A with 44 goals in 18 games, averaging 2.44 goals per match.

Nigerian center-forward Victor Osimhen broke the stalemate in the early stages of the game, adding another goal to his personal tally and establishing himself as the league’s undisputed capocannoniere.

Osimhen was also responsible for setting up his side’s second goal, courtesy of Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. The 21-year-old Georgian left winger, who joined Napoli last summer for a €10 million transfer fee, has been so impressive this season in Serie A and the UEFA Champions League that his market value has already experienced a sixfold increase, according to Transfermarkt estimates.

Before the break, Juventus struck back with a composed, left-footed finish by Di Maria, who halved Napoli’s advantage and gave the Bianconeri fans high hopes for a comeback.

The second half, however, turned out to be a one-way match. Center-back Amir Rrahmani, Osimhen (who racked up his 12th goal of the season) and Elif Elmas rounded the score to 5-1, as Juventus seemed incapable of showing any kind of reaction. In a single game, Napoli inflicted a five-goal defeat on a team that had just conceded seven times up to that point in the season.

With this win, Napoli have momentarily increased their lead to 10 points at the top of the Serie A table, sparking great enthusiasm in a fanbase that has been waiting 33 years to see their favorite team hoist Italy’s most prestigious soccer trophy.

“La capolista se ne va” (“The league leaders are running away”), was the chant sung by the 60 thousand Napoli supporters in the final minutes of the game.

In fact, Napoli’s overwhelming victory over title contenders Juventus sends a strong message to Serie A: The Partenopei are looking to run away with the Scudetto, and it might be too late for anyone to catch them.