Napoli

The match, which was played before a full crowd at Diego Armando Maradona stadium, ended up being a potential watershed in the 2022/23 Serie A season.

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. The second half, however, turned out to be a one-way match. Prior to Friday night’s game, their defense had conceded only seven goals in 17 Serie A rounds. 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. Osimhen was also responsible for setting up his side’s second goal, courtesy of Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. [Juventus](https://www.forbes.com/sites/danieleproch/2022/11/29/the-reasons-behind-andrea-agnellis-sudden-resignation-as-the-juventus-president/?sh=6f1e1e6c6581).

We're less than midway through the 2022-23 European league season — thanks to the unusual timing of World Cup 2022 — but it seems likely we've seen the most ...

[The Athletic’s Spanish football coverage](https://theathletic.com/4064085/2023/01/09/barca-barcelona-real-madrid/) has expanded… There was [Kalidou Koulibaly](https://theathletic.com/football/player/kalidou-koulibaly-Xrp8uQyKo6Y04VY4/)’s winner in 2018 with four games remaining. [Edinson Cavani](https://theathletic.com/football/player/edinson-cavani-fUNesQssWKzBgg2u/)’s famous hat-trick of headers against Juve in 2011. This victory will be talked about for years if Napoli don’t win the title, and for decades if they do. And then, look at the space on the outside of Juventus’ defence for Kvaratskhelia, who sweeps the ball home confidently. Here, Kvaratskhelia crosses for Osimhen to head home the fourth. Second, Politano receives a forward pass from Di Lorenzo and simply launches the ball into the channel, confident that Osimhen will win it. In fairness, Juve’s complete inability to get numbers across to the near side at least means they were well-staffed at the far post. Right-winger Politano takes this as his cue to push inside into the space vacated by Sandro, and then receives the forward pass from Di Lorenzo. Here’s another example of Napoli switching the play around Juve’s narrow block, and out to an unmarked forward. …but that’s not really enough, as Rui is pushing forward on the overlap to create an overload. [top-of-the-table Napoli](https://theathletic.com/3659314/2022/10/05/napoli-spalletti-maradona/) hosted a resurgent Juventus.

Victor Osimhen scored two and Kvicha Kvaratskhelia assisted two as league leaders Napoli smashed second-placed Juventus, 5-1.

Juventus are set to face Monza, and will shift their focus to Champions League qualification with Napoli running away with the title. Napoli take on relegation-threatened Cremonese in the Coppa Italia before resuming their Serie A season. THE BIG LOSER: Juventus turned in a disappointing team performance, entirely outclassed by a rampant Napoli side.

Allegri fits the Juve motto that 'winning is all that matters'. Here in Naples we're all about heart & soul. Maradona played here, won here & in winning ...

When Calciopoli rocked Italy back in 2006, he was named coach of the year in Serie A in successive seasons. Now, at the age of 63, Spalletti is on track for the first Scudetto of his career. There is still over half of the Serie A title race yet to be run. He has almost three decades of experience in the dugout. Should they complete the job, it’s a win that will go down as a major milestone in a historic season. The fearless Georgian winger was unknown outside of scouting circles a year ago, but he’s rapidly established himself as one of Europe’s most exciting youngsters. Messi is an era-defining player, but he’d spent his international career struggling to escape the shadow of Argentina’s favourite son. And that meant they travelled to Naples with an opportunity to close the gap on pace-setters Napoli to just four points. Allegri’s champions didn’t capture the imagination in quite the same way – but do they care? That season, Maurizio Sarri’s Napoli won hearts and minds, playing scintillating football as they pushed imperial-era Juventus closer than anyone else had managed in the 2010s. Indeed, during Allegri’s first stint in charge of the Old Lady, Juventus won more major honours than Napoli have in their entire history – five Serie A titles in five years, plus four Coppa Italia for good measure. Either side of the World Cup break, during which the entire board resigned, Allegri’s men won eight successive Serie A matches without conceding a goal.

Few expected the historic 5-1 result against Juventus, but one Napoli supporter made a perfect prediction, earning €36750 on his bet at odds of 104/1.

[Juventus](/teams/juventus), but one [Napoli](/teams/napoli) supporter made a perfect prediction, earning €36,750 on his bet at odds of 104/1. There was also another slightly less precise prediction in Naples, betting €100 on a large Napoli victory over Juventus and making a profit of €12,500. However, one supporter made that bet on Napoli 5-1 Juventus, putting down €350 on the result at a betting company in Rome.

Former Bologna and Verona director of sport Riccardo Bigon is reportedly set to become the new Technical Area Advisor for City Football Group, covering 12.

[Milan](/teams/milan) and [Lazio](/teams/lazio). [Napoli](/teams/napoli), [Hellas Verona](/teams/verona) and most recently Bologna. [Bologna](/teams/bologna) and [Verona](/teams/verona) director of sport Riccardo Bigon is reportedly set to become the new Technical Area Advisor for City Football Group, covering 12 clubs including Manchester City, Palermo and NYCFC.