Simeone strikes, Napoli fans weep as ex-forward punishes Conte | OneFootball

Napoli stumbles again. In Turin, it ends 1-0 for the granata, with Giovanni Simeone deciding the match by scoring the most classic of "ex-player goals." A blow that weighs doubly for the azzurri, already forced to deal with a full infirmary and an attack unable to capitalize on the few chances created.

Napoli, second defeat in the league: former Conte condemns Conte

The match begins at a slow pace, with both teams careful not to expose themselves. After a quarter of an hour of study, it's Torino that gains courage: Vlasic hits a post that makes Milinkovic-Savic tremble, a prelude to the granata's lead that comes in the 32nd minute. A lucky rebound puts Simeone back in play, ice-cold in beating the azzurri goalkeeper and holding back his celebration in front of his former teammates. From that moment, the game becomes easier for the home team, who are good at closing up and counterattacking. Napoli tries to react with De Bruyne and Spinazzola, but the attempts are extinguished in the safe hands of Israel. Conte's team holds the ball but doesn't sting: a script already seen this season.

In the second half, the azzurri coach tries to change the face of the match by bringing on Lang, Politano, and Elmas, but the tune doesn't change. The biggest chance comes in the final minutes when Lang finds the equalizing goal, only for it to be disallowed for offside. The disappointment is complete: the goal doesn't count, but the yellow card for the celebration remains. At the final whistle, the Olympic stadium erupts with joy while Napoli leaves the field with heads down. For Conte, it's the second defeat in the league, after the one against Milan. The schedule now becomes complicated, with the next match against Inter, and an immediate reaction will be needed to not lose ground in the race for the top positions.

Andrea Alati

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇮🇹 here.