ROME — Randal Kolo Muani made an impressive debut for Juventus by scoring a goal, but Antonio Conte’s Napoli responded by intensifying their play. The match concluded with Napoli achieving a 2-1 comeback victory, reaffirming their aspirations for the Serie A title and granting Conte a win against his former club where he secured his initial major managerial titles.
Napoli’s success this weekend allowed them to extend their lead over defending champions Inter Milan by six points, although Inter will have the opportunity to narrow the gap again when they take on Lecce, who are battling relegation.
In another matchup, third-placed Atalanta staged a comeback to also secure a 2-1 win against promoted Como, closing in on Inter Milan by just one point.
Juventus, on the other hand, remains in fifth place, still outside of the Champions League spots.
Kolo Muani’s debut for Juventus was remarkable, requiring just six touches to find the net in Serie A. Recently loaned from Paris Saint-Germain, Kolo Muani capitalized on a fortunate deflection from Napoli’s André-Frank Anguissa shortly before halftime. He elegantly volleyed the ball into the net from the center of the area using just one touch.
Head coach Thiago Motta quickly integrated Kolo Muani into the starting lineup, opting for him over the underperforming Dusan Vlahovic as the center forward.
In the second half, Anguissa restored parity for Napoli by heading in a cross from Matteo Politano, a play initiated by Lukaku. Lukaku then played a key role in winning a penalty for his team, connecting with Scott McTominay inside the box before McTominay was fouled by Manuel Locatelli.
True to form, Lukaku paused during his penalty approach, watched as Juventus goalkeeper Michele Di Gregorio dove to his left, and confidently struck the ball into the opposite corner of the net, marking his 200th career goal in Europe’s top five leagues.
Mateo Retegui shone for Atalanta, scoring two goals in the second half, raising his impressive tally to 16 goals this season as Atalanta triumphed over Como. Gian Piero Gasperini’s team remains six points shy of Napoli, having faced them just last weekend in Bergamo.
After an impressive streak of 11 consecutive victories, Atalanta was seeking to bounce back after failing to win in their last four matches prior to the game against Como.
Nico Paz gave Como the lead at the 30-minute mark, but Retegui responded quickly in the 56th minute with a deft redirect from a cross by substitute Marco Brescianini. He added a second goal just 14 minutes later, once again converting a cross from Brescianini, this time with two quick touches.
Como, currently positioned 13th in the standings, had earlier secured a 3-2 victory against Atalanta in their September encounter. Additionally, Atalanta’s key midfielder Marten de Roon had to exit the match at halftime due to a head injury.
