Serie A: Rasmus Hojlund brace hands Spalletti first defeat on dramatic Napoli return

Rasmus Hojlund delivered a match-winning brace as Napoli defeated Juventus 2-1, handing Luciano Spalletti his first loss as Bianconeri boss and spoiling his long-awaited return to the Stadio Maradona.

The encounter marked Spalletti’s first visit to Naples since his 2023 Scudetto triumph and his first managerial clash with Antonio Conte, adding extra weight to an already high-stakes Serie A fixture.

Injury troubles hit both camps

Both teams entered the match with extensive injury lists. Juventus were without Dusan Vlahovic and Federico Gatti following surgery, as well as Gleison Bremer, Daniele Rugani, and Arek Milik.

Kenan Yildiz led the line, with Weston McKennie pushed into a more advanced role.

Napoli were similarly depleted, missing Stanislav Lobotka, Billy Gilmour, Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa, Miguel Gutierrez, Kevin De Bruyne, Alex Meret, and Romelu Lukaku, prompting Eljif Elmas to step into midfield.

Hojlund strikes early

Napoli started aggressively. After Scott McTominay glanced a header wide, David Neres once again carved open the Juventus defence, beating Juan Cabal and Teun Koopmeiners before cutting back for Hojlund to stab home from close range, his first goal in two months.

Giovanni Di Lorenzo came close to doubling the lead with a looping header that forced Michele Di Gregorio into an acrobatic save.

Juventus struggle to create

Spalletti’s side found chances hard to come by. Yildiz twice broke down the left to create openings, while McTominay’s set-piece threat continued as another header grazed the post on the stroke of halftime.

With Juventus posting an xG of just 0.04 in the opening period, Spalletti introduced Jonathan David after the break to spark the attack.

Yildiz equaliser against the run of play

Napoli remained dominant, with Hojlund forcing another save from Di Gregorio and tensions rising following Pierre Kalulu’s studs-up challenge on Matias Olivera.

But Juventus struck from nothing. Yildiz surged forward on the counter, exchanged a neat one-two with McKennie, and curled a precise finish across Vanja Milinkovic-Savic for Juve’s first shot on target, and the equaliser.

Hojlund restores the advantage

Napoli responded almost immediately. A David Neres cross caused chaos at the back post, where McKennie inadvertently cushioned the ball into Hojlund’s path.

The striker reacted quickly, heading in from close range to reclaim the lead.

Juventus chased a late equaliser, but Edon Zhegrova’s stoppage-time effort was straight at Milinkovic-Savic, confirming a valuable win for Conte’s men.

Spalletti’s run of four wins and three draws ends in the city that defined his legacy, while Napoli strengthened their early title credentials.