It was another interesting and exciting weekend of soccer action from across Europe, with matches of note played in England, Spain, France, and Germany. But the real action was in Italy, where the race for the Serie A title took another fascinating twist. Leaders Napoli remained in pole position thanks to a crushing win over Juventus on Friday the 13th.
It was another horror show for the Old Lady, who still looks some way off challenging the likes of Napoli and AC Milan for the crown despite being on the road to recovery. Juve fans who hoped their side had turned the corner were left frustrated, upset, and with little hope for the remainder of the campaign. And with the top betting websites writing off Italy’s most successful side, things are expected to get worse before they get any better for Juve.
How competitive is the Serie A title race after week 18, and what can we expect in the coming weeks? This article brings readers up to speed on the lie of the land in Italy’s main attraction and which sides the bookies are backing for success. Read our Serie A update, choose your team, and take advantage of the betting value available at major sportsbooks. Everything you need to make a firm prediction on Serie A can be found on this page.
Napoli pass with flying colors
Napoli leads the Serie A and has done since near the start of the campaign. They have set the division alight this term, racking up points, enjoying a long unbeaten streak, and scoring plenty of goals. They are a pleasure to watch in action, and it would be no surprise to this writer to see them win the Serie A title and go deep into the UEFA Champions League. Exciting times lie ahead for fans of the club.
That’s the case, thanks to the great work done by the board, coaching staff, and players. Napoli is going great guns but did face the biggest challenge of their season on Friday when hosting a resurgent Juventus. The former champions arrived on a winning streak knowing another victory would blow the title race open. Only a win would do for Juventus on the unluckiest day of the year, but things didn’t go to plan.
Despite facing opposition in England from the Manchester and North London derbies, Napoli v Juventus was viewed by most sports fans as soccer’s main attraction of the weekend, and, boy, did it live up to the billing. Napoli were the home team favorites to win, and they did it in style, swaggering to a stunning 5-1 victory. The league isn’t over following that dramatic win, but Napoli is in an even stronger position than last week.
Napoli 5-1 Juventus
Friday’s fixture was played before a capacity crowd in Naples, with millions more watching worldwide thanks to the live TV coverage available. This game had all the ingredients of a memorable tie, and the players did their part to ensure it lived up to the pre-match hype. Pundits had expected a competitive 90 minutes, and there were a few whispers that Juve might pull off a shock away win, but that proved way off the mark.
Napoli won at the weekend in style, scoring five goals on an evening where it could have been more. Osimhen broke the deadlock when scoring the first of his two goals in the game at 14 minutes, with the second 50 minutes later. There were also strikes for Kvaratskhelia, Rramani, and Elmas. Juventus, battered and bruised, had only a consolation goal from Di Maria to take from what was a tough night’s work.
That victory moved Napoli 10 points clear in Serie A as they took a massive step to winning their first league title since more than 30 years ago. When realizing that Juventus had won their previous eight games without conceding a goal before running into Napoli and leaking five, we realize just how good the leaders are, and there’s more to come from them.
Napoli is next in action against Salernitana away from home on Saturday, and they are expected to pick up another three points.Â
