Overthrowing Juventus, Napoli becomes increasingly difficult to contain

NAPLES, MONDAY — For the first time in nearly 40 years, Napoli concluded a home match in the Italian League without a defeat in a calendar year by defeating Juventus 2-1, on Monday (8/12/2025) early morning WIB, at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium. "The Little Donkey" has proven to be increasingly difficult to compete with in the domestic arena.

A brace or two goals from striker Rasmus Hojlund in the seventh and 78th minutes secured Napoli's three points to stay in pole position in the Studetto hunt in week 14. The visitors' only goal was scored by a kick from young striker Kenan Yildiz in the 59th minute.

The match between the two clubs represents two territorial identities of Italy, with Napoli located in the southern part of the country, while Juve hails from the more prosperous northern region. Napoli has proven that they show no mercy whenever "The Old Lady" visits. Napoli has won seven consecutive matches when hosting Juve in Naples.

These three important points brought Napoli back to the top position. They displaced Inter Milan, who had nearly led the championship race for 24 hours after defeating Como 4-0 on Sunday (7/12/2025 WIB). The Little Donkey is one point ahead of Inter.

"We faced Atalanta, Roma, and Juventus, all strong opponents, in emergency situations, and won them all. I was captivated by the enthusiasm and energy the boys brought to the game," Napoli coach Antonio Conte told DAZN after the match.

One thing that makes Conte cheerful is the fighting spirit of his players. They seem undeterred by the injury storm that has sidelined key players as the new year approaches.

Napoli remains without Frank Anguissa, Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku, and Stanislav Lobotka when hosting Juve. Conte maintains a 3-4-3 formation. The midfield duo, Scott McTominay and Eljif Elmas, serves as the pivot at the heart of the game.

Subsequently, the trio of David Neres, Noa Lang, and Hojlund has become a mainstay amid the lack of substitutes. This lineup and formation have helped the Little Donkey secure victories in four consecutive matches.

Napoli's path to surpassing the competition for the Italian championship is in their own hands. After completing three challenging matches with perfect results, Napoli will face Udinese and Cremonese, two mid-table teams that should not be difficult to conquer, in the final two matches of 2025.

"Everyone who plays is able to perform with extraordinary character and great responsibility. The children have elevated the message, so I am very proud because of how difficult the moment is right now and they have responded brilliantly," said Conte.

"We must maintain this right path. One main thing is that the players deserve praise for their efforts amid the current lack of depth in our squad. I am grateful to them," he continued.

Playing under the support of approximately 53,000 fans, the Napoli squad demonstrated their tactical superiority over Juve. The execution of Conte's game plan was carried out optimally.

Pressing with a high defensive zone and controlling the tempo of possession demonstrated the defending champions' dominance. As a result, Napoli created two big chances with nine shots.

Juve, who played under pressure, managed to provide a better resistance after halftime. The equalizing goal from Yildiz serves as evidence. However, Yildiz's shot was the only on-target attempt by Juve in the final third of Napoli's defense.

"Every match has different phases. If we press high, we can avoid risks as we did because we only faced two dangerous shots from Juve," said Conte, who has five Serie A titles as a coach.

The victory over Juve helped Napoli conclude the year at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium without a defeat. The Little Donkeys squad recorded 16 wins and five draws across all competitions in 2025 in front of their home supporters. The last time Napoli went unbeaten at home in a single year was in 1987.

Meanwhile, Juve suffered their first defeat under Luciano Spalletti, ending a three-game winning streak.

Juve's ambition to break into the top four is becoming increasingly difficult. The Old Lady is currently in seventh place, four points behind AS Roma, who are in fourth place.

The next two matches for Juve in the Italian League will be against teams that are positioned above them. They are Bologna (fifth place) and Roma (fourth place).

"We can play better than we did today. If we can control the game, we'll be the ones who can decide our fate," Spalletti said, as reported by Tuttosport.

In the match against Napoli, Spalletti improvised by using Yildiz as a false nine. The tactic didn't work well in the first half.

Subsequently, Spalletti introduced Jonathan David, a central striker, which allowed Yildiz to take on the role of left winger. This position enabled the Turkish player to pose a threat to Napoli's defense through his individual actions, including a goal.

"We were better in the second half, but still struggled to match the speed and quality of Napoli's counterattacks. We were also too predictable when dominating possession, so it is clear that we need to distribute the ball more effectively and quickly," said Spalletti, who was experiencing his first game in Naples after leading Napoli to win the Serie A title in 2022-2023.