Juventus ride a pair of bangers to critical win over Napoli

TURIN, ITALY - NOVEMBER 1: Kerim Alajbegovic of Juventus celebrates after scoring an goal during the Serie A match between Juventus and SSC Napoli at Allianz Stadium on November 1, 2026 in Turin, Italy. (Photo by Alberto Gandolfo - Juventus/Juventus FC via Getty Images) | Juventus FC via Getty Images The narrative of Sunday night’s game between Juventus and Napoli was that of a meeting of two clubs in crisis. Juve’s bottle job in Genoa on Wednesday had piled the pressure onto Luciano Spalletti, while Massimilano Allegri was trying to pull Napoli out of their own spiral. Both teams were riven with injuries. Both desperately need three points to try to get themselves back on track.It was Juventus that came away with those points in an uninspiring game that was decided in the last 20 minutes by a pair of absolutely brilliant moments from Kerim Alajbegovic and Jérémie Boga, both producing some goals of the season with thrilling strikes that ended the hopes for the 10-man Partenopei in a 2-0 win for the Bianconeri.Was it the most exhilarating of games? No, especially not in the first half. But Juve took control of things after the break and were fully worth this victory. Whether it’s a foundation to build around is yet to be seen.Spalletti still had a missing list as long as his arm, headlined by Kenan Yildiz, Manuel Locatelli, Khéphren Thuram, Francisco Conceição, Nico González, and Zeki Çelik, although Jeff Ekhator was called up for the first time this season and available off the bench. Spalletti sent the team out in what, for the first half, functioned as a 4-4-2. Guglielmo Vicario was screened by a back four of Pierre Kalulu, Bremer, Jhon Lucumí, and Juan Cabal. Weston McKennie, Douglas Luiz, Teun Koopmeiners, and Alajbegovic. Randal Kolo Muani and Nick Woltemade paired up at the top of the formation.Allegri had gotten himself a two-game suspension after more of his jacket-throwing antics last week against Roma, so Marco Landucci stood on the touch line for Napoli. He, too, was looking at a stupid long list of unavailable players. Stanislav Lobotka, Benoit Badiashile, Leonardo Spinazzola, David Neres, Alisson Santos, Costantino Favasuli and Alessandro Buongiorno were all injured, and to pile on Rasmus Hojlund and Vanja Milnkovic-Savic were both ruled out due to a virus, with Amir Rrachmani only fit for the bench. The visitors lined up in a 4-3-3 in front of Alex Meret. Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Luca Marianucci, Rafa Marin, and Mathías Olivera made up the defensive line. Kevin De Bruyne took Lobotka’s place as an unconventional regista, joining Frank Zambo Anguissa and Scott McTominay in midfield. Matteo Politano and Noa Lang flanked Lorenzo Lucca up top.Lucca nearly made the most of his rare start in the eighth minute when he crept around Bremer and met a cross from Politano, but Vicario got down and made a one-handed parry. Napoli kept control of the ball for the first 15 minutes or so of the game but couldn’t come up with any more attacks that were that dangerous. Juve began to get themselves a foothold, although they also saw Douglas Luiz and Lucumí pick up yellow cards. They picked up a series of corners, and the 28th minute saw Cabal fire a header that bounced off the frame of the goal, He tried to keep the ball alive and took a ton of contact as he tried to push the ball back out to Alajbegovic, but neither Simone Sozza nor VAR Francesco Meraviglia took any action on what looked to be a clear penalty incident.Juve continued to push the attack, although they were lucky when they gave the ball away deep in their own half only for Lang to blaze over from inside the box. Bremer and Kolo Muani put the ball over the bar in the last few moments of the half, but in the very last minute of stoppage time Alajbegovic found a space between two defenders and hit a low drive to the far post that Meret was just able to push wide.It had been a relatively uninspired half, but as the second period began Juve clearly looked like they’d gained a step, despite losing McKennie to an adductor injury. Still, the last ball eluded them. Alajbegovic could’ve run clear in behind in the 54th minute, but Kolo Muani’s attempt to pass to him missed him by several yards. A few minutes later the defense nearly lost the ball right at the top of their own box, but Vicario charged off his line and made a slide tackle for a clearance just outside the area.Kolo Muani was whistled off the field at the hour mark, replaced by Edon Zhegrova. Juve were still not quite there with the final ball, with a Bremer header right at Meret being the only shot in the next 10 minutes, before Alajbegovic set the place on fire with 20 minutes to go.It started with Zhegrova, who dribbled a circle around Olivera and moved the ball to Alajbegovic. The teenaged Bosnian carried the ball just above the left channel and unleashed from about 20 yards. It was one of the truest strikes of the year. Meret had no chance as it flew across him and thumped the inside of the far post, hitting it so hard that it hit the side netting on the opposite side of the goal. It was a completely unstoppable shot, and Juve had pulled themselves up to a deserved lead.It was also the last action for Alajbegovic, who was withdrawn for Boga before play resumed. It was a puzzling decision at first, until video of him asking to be subbed out made the rounds, as well as some pictures of him icing down his calf on the sideline.The game was essentially over five minutes after the breakthrough when Marianucci came down on Cabal’s foot with his studs and received a second yellow card. A half that had been dominated by Juve now came under complete control. They sealed Napoli in and began chasing after a sealing goal, one that they duly found with three minutes left when Boga ripped a fantastic strike of his own after getting a simple pass from Andrea Cambiaso and cutting inside, unleashing a rocket that Meret had zero chance at stopping. It was the last significant action of the match, and a few minutes later the referee ended proceedings, and Juve could count a huge victory.