Rasmus Højlund scored twice as Napoli returned to the top of the Serie A table with a 2-1 win at home to Juventus.
Victory saw the champions leapfrog Inter Milan by a point at the summit and dealt a massive blow to Juve’s own title aspirations, leaving them trailing now by eight points.
It was a chance for visiting boss Luciano Spalletti to earn a personal triumph against the team he led to the title in 2023, whilst also re-igniting his current side’s campaign.
Instead, they were undone by Antonio Conte’s champions, with Højlund’s two goals coming either side of a brilliantly-worked equaliser by Kenan Yildiz.
Napoli went ahead after seven minutes. David Neres ran down the right outside of Teun Koopmeiners, who was well-beaten for pace, and crossed low to the near post.
Arriving at speed was Højlund, who beat Lloyd Kelly to the ball and prodded it first-time past Michele Di Gregorio.
Giovanni Di Lorenzo come close to doubling the lead with a header from Noa Lang’s cross, a fine stop from Di Gregorio clawing the ball away from the top corner.
Yildiz then set up Francisco Conceição for a left-footed drive that was badly miscued high and wide, but it was Napoli who came closest to extending their advantage before half-time.
Lang sent over another inviting cross and rising to meet it was Scott McTominay, who planted a header firmly against the post, as Juve made it to the interval only a goal behind.
Pierre Kalulu could count himself extremely fortunate to escape with only a yellow card for studs-up challenge on the ankle of Mathías Olivera. There was significant anger amongst the Napoli players and staff that Juve had not been reduced to 10 men.
To fuel the home side’s sense of injustice, the visitors were level moments later. A fabulous passing move in midfield saw the ball worked wide on the right to Weston McKennie.
The United States international looked up and spotted the run into the box of Yildiz and he got in front of his defender at the near post to angle the ball expertly across the goalkeeper and into the far corner.
The winner came 12 minutes from time and it was a poacher’s finish by Højlund. A huge cross to the far post was headed carelessly back into danger by McKennie. Waiting to shovel it over the line was the Danish striker, who took his season’s tally to four goals — and sent the hosts back to the summit of the Italian top flight.
