Juventus delivered a statement 3-0 victory over an injury-ravaged Napoli in Turin on Sunday. The victory strengthened their bid for a top-four finish in Serie A.
Goals from Jonathan David, Kenan Yildiz, and a late Filip Kostic strike lifted Juve to 42 points.
Napoli’s Injury Crisis
Napoli arrived depleted. Their problems compounded before kick-off with goalkeeper Vanja Milinkovic-Savic sidelined by a muscle injury. David Neres was also unavailable following surgery. He joins an already lengthy absence list that includes Matteo Politano, Kevin De Bruyne, Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa, and Billy Gilmour.
Juventus Take Control
Juventus asserted control early. They went close when Khephren Thuram curled an effort from the edge of the box against the woodwork. The pressure told in the 22nd minute. Manuel Locatelli’s floated pass found David, who controlled smartly with his chest and finished decisively from a tight angle to open the scoring.
The hosts nearly doubled their advantage moments later when Yildiz broke through and beat Alex Meret with a low shot. However, Alessandro Buongiorno produced a vital goal-line clearance.
Late Goals Seal Victory
After an intense opening half, the tempo dipped following the restart. Both sides appeared to conserve energy for a late surge.
Yildiz settled the contest in the 77th minute. He timed his run perfectly to meet Fabio Miretti’s through ball before calmly slotting past Meret. Napoli’s difficult night was capped in the 86th minute when Kostic’s long-range effort caught Meret off guard.
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