Juventus Vs. Napoli: Juve win 2-0 in final ten minutes

As if that weren’t enough to dampen the partenopei spirits, Juve grabbed another goal less than two minutes later. Pogba pounced on a poorly cleared ball, hitting it on the volley for a fantastic strike that beat a diving De Sanctis at the far post.

The win takes Juve’s unbeaten streak in the league up to 47, and gives Napoli their first loss of the season.

It may be scoreless at the break, but there’s been no shortage of drama in the match between Juventus and Napoli. The two sides have toned it down just a bit from the SuperCoppa final in August, but the fouls and antics are still thick on the ground. Juve have come off worse for the wear, with Leondardo Bonucci leaving in a stretcher in the 18th minute and coming back on with a bandage on his knee.*

The first chance of the half occurred within two minutes. Sebastian Giovinco made a beautiful run, cutting first inside then back out before firing his shot at the Napoli goal. Morgan De Sanctis could only push the ball away, but fortunately for the visitors, Paolo Cannavaro and Hugo Campagnaro were on hand to clear.

Vucinic, meanwhile, picked up some sort of fever while away in Ukraine with the Montengro side, and has been left off the list of available Juve players. Last season his illness would have meant little to the bianconeri, as Vucinic tended to frustrate more than inspire. But although the forward has just two goals thus far, his performances have shown marked improvement, and he’s been the top choice to start up front.

Highlight: HD coverage of the intense man cuddles as the partenopei do what was meant to be impossible: beat Juventus in 2011-2012

Highlight: Napoli do Kung Fu. It’s no wonder that this match ended with Napoli down to nine men.

The trouble is, neither Napoli or Juve have slipped. Not only are they both unbeaten, as everyone knows, but they’ve barely conceded goals. Napoli have let in just three, Juventus follow with four. Considering the fact that both their defenses can make supporters quiver in terror, this is fairly impressive.

Even if Cavani was at perfect fitness and Buffon was missing from goal, Juventus would still be favored to win this match. Their midfield is excellent and orchestrated by the nearly infallible Pirlo. Goals, as has been mentioned, could come from almost anywhere. If the bianconeri frustrate the visitors, as they almost certainly will, Napoli will likely give away fouls in locations that lead to goals.