After a scrappy start to the match, the first clear-cut opportunity arrived at the midway point of the first half when Bologna defender Jhon Lucumi steered a close-range header wide of the post following an excellent corner-kick delivery.
Shortly after the half-hour mark, Napoli goalkeeper Vanja Milinkovic-Savic was forced to parry the ball away from danger to deny Jonathan Rowe’s long-range strike, before a disappointing Thijs Dallinga header drifted off target, when he should have done better in a great position for the hosts.
Ultimately, it was a first half that was blighted by frequent stoppages, which prevented both teams from reaching top gear.
The second half began with a bang however, as the Rossoblu took the lead in the 50th minute through Dallinga, as he raced ahead of his marker to meet Nicolo Cambiaghi’s pass and finished smartly at the near post to huge cheers from the home supporters.
The situation would go from bad to worse for Antonio Conte’s side, as the hosts doubled their lead midway through the second half, thanks to Lucumí’s first Serie A goal of the season as he took advantage of some sloppy Napoli defending to head home from close range.
The Partenopei will be sorely disappointed with their second-half performance, as they produced an xG of only 0.05 after HT. Credit must be given to a tactically astute Bologna whose game plan was carried out to perfection, while 17-year-old substitute goalkeeper Massimo Pessina must be singled out for dealing with everything that came his way in a very mature manner.
A brilliant three points for Bologna sees Vincenzo Italiano’s side extend their unbeaten run in all competitions to 10 games and move up to fifth position in the Serie A table.
Napoli fans have plenty to ponder on, as the reigning Italian champions drop to second place behind AC Milan following another goal-shy performance.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Jhon Lucumi (Bologna)
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