Serie A
Juventus Come From Behind To Defeat Napoli
Juventus maintained their 100 per cent record in Serie A but had to come from behind to defeat Napoli at the Allianz Stadium.
A Mario Mandzukic double and a goal from Leonardo Bonucci cancelled out Dries Mertens’s early opener for Napoli.
The result leaves Juventus six points clear of Napoli with seven wins from seven.
Napoli started the brighter of the two sides and came close to taking the lead.
Piotr Zielinski unleashed a fine shot from 25 yards out, which smacked off the post with the Juventus goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny beaten.
Napoli were pressing Juventus high up the pitch and that pressing helped them take the lead.
Juventus defender Leonardo Bonucci gave the ball away to Allan. The Brazilian midfielder played the ball to Jose Callejon inside the penalty area.
He squared it to Dries Mertens who slotted the ball into the net.
Juventus Bounce Back
Juventus gradually got back into the game and were level on 26 minutes.
A great piece of skill from Cristiano Ronaldo helped him skip past Napoli full back Elseid Hysaj.
He delivered a fantastic cross to Mario Mandzukic, who headed the ball past David Ospina in the Napoli goal.
The goal ignited the defending champions and they took a deserved lead three minutes into the second half.
Cristiano Ronaldo hit a great strike from just outside the box, which bounced off the post. Mario Mandzukic was quickest to react to the rebound and he fired the ball into the net.
Napoli’s task got even harder when defender Mario Rui got himself sent off for a second bookable offence.
Rui brought down Paulo Dybala and the referee had no hesitation but to send him off.
Despite being down to ten men Napoli continued to press and missed a great chance to equalise. Jose Callejon’s shot from just inside the penalty area was saved by Szczesny.
Juventus wrapped up all three points on 76 minutes. A corner swung in by Federico Bernardeschi was flicked on by Ronaldo. It was then bundled into the net by Leonardo Bonucci for his first Juventus goal on his return from AC Milan.
This was a big win for the Old Lady. Meanwhile, Napoli will be thinking what might have been following a great start to the game.
Can Anyone Stop Juventus
The defending champions already look well on their way to making it eight successive Scudettos.
Already six points clear of their closest rivals from last season in Napoli, it is hard to see who can stop them in Serie A.
They have incredible strength in depth, which their domestic rivals simply don’t have.
Defensively they are one of the best teams in the world and with the attacking options of Ronaldo, Dybala, Bernardeschi and Mandzukic they are a complete all round team.
Against Napoli they didn’t start well, giving away an early goal. Napoli’s pressing in particular caused them problems.
But the Old Lady always seems to find a way domestically and once again they grew into the game and showed all their experience.
A piece of magic from Ronaldo helped haul Juventus level. A great piece of skill to get past his defender and he delivered a great cross for Mandzukic.
He might not have scored but the Portuguese international was involved in all three Juventus goals.
With the likes of Roma, Inter and Milan all making poor starts to the season, the Turin side already have one hand on the Scudetto.
Positives For Ancelotti
Despite the defeat their are a number of positives for Napoli boss Carlo Ancelotti.
Napoli started well and put Juventus under pressure. They showed no fear going to the Allianz stadium, a stadium where Juventus have only lost five league games in seven years.
However, Ancelotti will be disappointed in how they lost control of the game and allowed Juventus to get back into it.
In the second half they struggled to create any clear cut chances. Their hopes weren’t helped by the dismissal of Mario Rui.
To be six points behind Juventus already isn’t ideal but it has been a hard start to the season for Napoli. In seven games they have already faced Milan, Lazio and now Juventus.
Last season, they showed that they can match Juventus all the way in the title race. However, their lack of strength in depth could cost Napoli once again.
They have to prioritise between mounting a title challenge or competing in the Champions League. It will be hard for them to do well in both given the size of their squad.
Having not won a Scudetto since 1990, Napoli fans are desperate for title success.
But given Juventus’s start to the season their wait looks like it will continue.
Next up both sides play key games in the Champions League. Juventus face Young Boys in Turin on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Napoli host Liverpool on Wednesday.
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Photo credit to Dickson Dagogo via Flickr
