Serie A 2025-26: Napoli move top with battling win over Genoa

MILAN: Second-half goals from Andre Anguissa and Rasmus Hojlund helped Napoli battle back to earn a 2-1 home win over Genoa on Sunday as the defending champion moved top of the Serie A 2025-26 standings.

Napoli’s perfect start to the league campaign was ended by a 2-1 loss at AC Milan last weekend, and Antonio Conte’s side risked a second successive defeat before a spirited fightback, which followed AS Roma’s earlier 2-1 win at Fiorentina.

Napoli is on 15 points, ahead of Roma on goal difference, with AC Milan, which drew with Juventus later on Sunday, and Inter M,ilan both three points behind. Genoa, without a league win, is second from the bottom on two points.

Conte opted to rest Kevin De Bruyne after the Belgian midfielder had started all seven games this season, bringing in winger David Neres.

For all its possession and attacking play early on, Napoli failed to create any real first-half danger.

The host’s best chance came from Genoa defender Alessandro Marcandalli’s attempted clearance, which ricocheted off striker Hojlund and almost found the net.

Genoa, which had registered two goals in its previous five league games, took the lead with an audacious piece of magic from Jeff Ekhator in the 33rd minute.

Brooke Norton-Cuffy rounded Mathias Olivera, took the ball into the area and squared a pass which 18-year-old Ekhator finished off with a deft back-heel strike from just inside the six-yard box.

Napoli lost Stanislav Lobotka to injury before the break, with Conte introducing Billy Gilmour, and there were more problems for the hosts with Matteo Politano going down, which led to De Bruyne making his entrance five minutes into the second half.

Leonardo Spinazzola also came on, and it was his cross which led to Napoli’s equaliser 12 minutes after the break, with its first effort on target.

Genoa’s Johan Vasquez got to the cross ahead of Hojlund, but the loose ball bounced kindly for the unmarked Anguissa to pounce with a header.

Napoli finally began to motor, and after Hojlund had a goal ruled out for offside and Giovanni Di Lorenzo’s header crashed off the upright, the winning goal came 15 minutes from time.

Anguissa’s shot was parried away by the keeper, and this time Hojlund was there to capitalise with a low strike from the edge of the six-yard box.

AC Milan’s Christian Pulisic missed a penalty and his side had to settle for a 0-0 draw away to Juventus on Sunday, denying the visitor a return to the top of the Serie A 2025-26 standings. Agencies

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