The matchup between the league’s most prolific offense and the league’s most sturdy defense was the most anticipated matchup of the 2022/23 Serie A season.

Napoli, leaders of Serie A, defeated second-place Juventus, 5-1, in front of a sold-out crowd at Diego Armando Maradona Stadium. This result could prove to be a turning point in the season.

The Bianconeri were confident heading into their match against Napoli, since Juventus had won eight straight league games, keeping a clean sheet in each of those games. Their defense has allowed only seven goals in the first seventeen rounds of the Serie A season prior to Friday night’s game.

Massimiliano Allegri started Federico Chiesa, an Italian international, on the right wing of his 3-5-2 formation. In attack, World Cup champion Angel di Maria partnered with Arkadiusz Milik. Weston McKennie, a USMNT midfielder, occupied the right mezzala spot to begin the match.
Napoli, meanwhile, took the field as the unofficial “winter champions” of Italy, having topped the Serie A standings at the midseason break.

The Partenopei, under the direction of head coach Luciano Spalletti, have developed a thrilling style of play this season, characterized by a focus on maintaining control of the ball and a proactive approach to the game. As a result of their superior assault, they lead Serie A with 44 goals scored in 18 games (2.44 goals per game).

The game was tied early on, but Victor Osimhen, a center striker from Nigeria, broke the deadlock, giving himself a hat trick and solidifying his position as the league’s uncontested capocannoniere.

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia scored his team’s second goal thanks to an assist from Osimhen. The 21-year-old Georgian left winger has been so impressive this season in Serie A and the UEFA Champions League that Transfermarkt reckons his market value has already increased sixfold. He joined Napoli this summer for a transfer price of €10 million.

Just before halftime, Juventus got on the board thanks to Di Maria’s composed left-footed finish, cutting Napoli’s lead in half and giving optimism to the Bianconeri faithful.

While the first half was close, the second was a rout for the home team. The score was 5-1 after goals from central defender Amir Rrahmani, Osimhen (who now has 12 goals on the season), and Elif Elmas, and Juventus showed no signs of life. In a single game, Napoli inflicted a five-goal defeat on a club that had just surrendered seven times up to that point in the season.

With this victory, Napoli have temporarily extended their advantage at the top of the Serie A table to 10 points, inspiring immense excitement among a support that has waited 33 years to see their team win Italy’s most coveted soccer trophy.

The 60,000 Napoli fans sang, “La capolista se ne va” (English: “The league leaders are racing away“) in the dying seconds of the game.

The Partenopei want to run away with the Scudetto, and it may be too late for anyone to catch them after their lopsided victory against championship contender Juventus.