Juventus Tops Napoli in Serie A Clash as Injury Woes Mount for Visitors
Max Allegri’s assistant Marco Landucci addressed Napoli’s recent injury concerns following their 2-0 loss to Juventus, admitting, “we had a bad second half and Juventus deserved to win, there’s not much else to say.’
Landucci stepped in during Allegri’s two-match touchline ban, watching from the stands of a stadium he knows well from his decade-long affiliation with Juventus across two tenures.
Assistant coach Marco Landucci faced some last-minute roster adjustments, with Rasmus Hojlund and Vanja Milinkovic-Savic sidelined due to a virus. The team was already missing several players, including Stanislav Lobotka, Benoit Badiashile, Leonardo Spinazzola, David Neres, Alisson Santos, Costantino Favasuli, and Alessandro Buongiorno.
The match was evenly contested with limited opportunities until Kerim Alajbegovic and Jeremie Boga scored stunning long-range goals for Juventus, combined with Luca Marianucci’s second yellow card sending Napoli down to ten men.
Landucci Acknowledged Napoli Errors
TURIN, ITALY – NOVEMBER 01: Federico Gatti of Juventus is challenged by Scott McTominay of SSC Napoli during the Serie A match between Juventus and SSC Napoli at Allianz Stadium on November 01, 2026 in Turin, Italy. (Photo by Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images)
Landucci remarked, “Quite simply, we had a bad second half and Juve deserved to win. When you lose, you have to just stay quiet and accept it.” He noted that while Napoli faced several absences, it was imperative the team should have performed better post-break. He highlighted a promising first-half where Lucca was denied by a fantastic save from Vicario.
Napoli currently find themselves in eighth position with 14 points, trailing ninth-placed Bologna, and sit nine points off the Champions League slots held by Como. This marks an unfortunate eight-point decline compared to their standings at the same juncture last season when they topped the table.
Despite their position, Landucci stated, “We are not worried, but we are very disappointed. We cared about this match. The truth is that’s how the game went, we need to shut up and prepare for Wednesday.” He emphasized the injury challenges faced due to a demanding fixture schedule, acknowledging their impact on the game.
TURIN, ITALY – NOVEMBER 01: Jeremie Boga of Juventus celebrates scoring his team’s second goal with teammates during the Serie A match between Juventus and SSC Napoli at Allianz Stadium on November 01, 2026 in Turin, Italy. (Photo by Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images)
Landucci noted that on both Juventus goals, Napoli’s defense failed to maintain appropriate pressure, leading to the opportunities. “Absolutely not,” he responded when questioned if this was a tactical choice. “Those were great finishes, but we should not have allowed them to get into that space.” He highlighted that the team’s back-tracking was excessive, emphasizing the need for better defensive conduct to avoid conceding goals.
TURIN, ITALY – NOVEMBER 01: Kevin De Bruyne of SSC Napoli is challenged by Weston McKennie of Juventus during the Serie A match between Juventus and SSC Napoli at Allianz Stadium on November 01, 2026 in Turin, Italy. (Photo by Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images)
In the match, Napoli faced further injury dilemmas as Kevin De Bruyne and Giovanni Di Lorenzo were substituted at halftime, while Matias Olivera left the field visibly upset following Marianucci’s red card.
“Clearly, they could not continue. De Bruyne had a problem with his ankle, Giovanni Di Lorenzo I’m not sure, but he could not continue either,” Landucci explained. He reiterated the need for improvement despite the injuries, acknowledging that the match was decided by exceptional goals but that the team did not aid their situation.
Reflecting on the post-game discussions with Allegri, Landucci stated, “Yes, we spoke in the dressing room, but there’s not a lot to say. Obviously, he wasn’t happy, would you have been happy? He just said we should’ve done better in the second half, we paid a heavy price for errors, that’s it.”
