On 8 December, one of the matches of the 15th round of the Italian football championship took place. Juventus (Turin) and Napoli (Naples) met.
Italian Championship, 15th round
Juventus (Turin) - Napoli (Naples) - 1:0 (0:0)
Goals: Gatti (51)
Warnings: K. Kvaratskhelia (45+1), Bremer (58), Juan Jesus (63), Leo Ostigard (86), Osimhen (90+5), Locatelli (90+5).
Juventus defeated Napoli in a tense Serie A encounter. In a much-anticipated match at the Allianz Stadium, Juventus defeated Napoli 1-0. With the score at 0-0 at half-time, it was a tense encounter that kept the fans in suspense until the final whistle. In the first half, both teams showed their defensive prowess by not allowing a breakthrough in the first 45 minutes. However, in the 45th minute Napoli player K. Kvaratskhelia found himself in the referee's book, receiving a yellow card. This yellow card would cost Napoli dearly in the future. The second half started with renewed vigour and in the 51st minute Juventus were successful thanks to a goal by F. Gatti, much to the delight of the home team. The Juventus striker took advantage of a mistake in Napoli's defence and headed the ball past the goalkeeper, giving his team the lead. Juventus' lead was jeopardised in the 58th minute when Bremer received a yellow card and Napoli's Juan Jesus scored in the 63rd minute. Both teams were pushed to the limit, engaging in a fierce battle for control of the game.
In the 65th minute Napoli made their first substitution: P. Zielinski replaced E. Elmas in an attempt to change the dynamic of the attack. Juventus responded with a substitution in the 70th minute, bringing on D. Vlahovic instead of A. Milik. Both teams continued to make substitutions: Napoli introduced Nathan instead of A. Zanoli and M. Politano instead of G. Raspadori in the 72nd minute, while Juventus introduced F. Chiesa instead of M. Keane and F. Kostic instead of Alex Sandro in the 83rd minute. Time passed, tension grew, which led to the distribution of several yellow cards. In the 86th minute, Napoli's L. Ostigard received a caution, after which a substitution was made: S. Lobotka was substituted in place of H. Kahuste. Juventus also made a substitution: V. McKennie replaced S. Ealing Jr. and A. Cambiaso came on in place of D. Rugani. In the final minutes of the game, Napoli's V. Osimhen and Juventus' M. Locatelli were both sent off in the 90th minute for respective offences. The referee blew the final whistle, confirming Juventus' hard-fought 1-0 victory over Napoli. Both teams showed their skills and fought courageously, making this a memorable game. Juventus will gain confidence from this victory and continue to fight for the top spot in Serie A, while Napoli will reflect on their missed opportunities and try to get back on track in the upcoming matches.
In the next round the following matches await the rivals: Genoa - Juventus, Napoli - Cagliari.
| Juventus | Napoli | |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Kicks to the goal | 1 |
| 11 | Kicks | 13 |
| 3 | Blocked shots | 3 |
| 7 | Penalty kicks | 7 |
| 4 | Penalty kicks | 6 |
| 11 | Offences | 11 |
| 3 | Corner | 6 |
| 2 | Offsides | 2 |
| 33% | Ball possession | 67% |
| 1 | Yellow cards | 3 |
| 0 | Red cards | 0 |
| 1 | Keeper saves | 1 |
| 281 | Total assists | 568 |
| 201 | Accurate assists | 504 |
| 72% | Passing accuracy | 89% |