Juventus suffer but win, as De Bruyne and McTominay flip the switch for Napoli

Juventus and Napoli both collected important Serie A wins on a night when the margins were thin, but the points were priceless.

In Udine, Juventus once again showed that finishing remains their biggest headache. The Bianconeri created enough chances to win comfortably but had to settle for a narrow 1-0 victory over Udinese.

The difference-maker was once again Kenan Yildiz, who continues to look like the heart and soul of the team. Operating as a false nine, the Turkish youngster constantly dragged defenders out of position and, in the 38th minute, produced the decisive moment. Escaping his marker, he surged into the box and squared the ball for Jeremie Boga, who calmly finished to score for the third consecutive Serie A match.

Juventus fired 22 shots, but Udinese goalkeeper Maduka Okoye kept the hosts alive with a string of impressive saves. The tension rose late on when Francisco Conceicao had a goal ruled out by VAR after Teun Koopmeiners was judged to have interfered from an offside position.

That decision gave Udinese renewed belief, and the final minutes turned frantic as the hosts pushed forward, with Nicolo Zaniolo leading several dangerous runs. Still, Juventus held firm to secure another win and maintain their strong run against the Zebrette.

While Juventus struggled for efficiency, Napoli showed their ability to switch gears when it mattered.

The reigning champions trailed early against Lecce after a powerful header from Zibert, and their first half was surprisingly blunt - not a single shot on target despite dominating possession.

But everything changed after the break. Coach Antonio Conte reacted decisively, introducing Scott McTominay and Kevin De Bruyne to inject energy and creativity.

The turnaround was swift. Just two minutes into the second half, Matteo Politano burst down the flank and laid the ball on a plate for Rasmus Hojlund to equalise. Twenty minutes later, Politano completed the comeback himself, slipping behind the defence to finish first time after a clever pass from Alessandro Buongiorno.

The two goals knocked the wind out of Lecce, and Napoli comfortably controlled the closing stages to secure a 2-1 win.

In the final minutes of the game, however, Lecce's Zambian player Lameck Banda was struggling to breathe, which even Conte noticed by the touchline. He immediately alerted the Lecce medical staff, as medics rushed onto the pitch to provide help. After a few minutes, he was stretchered off and taken to a nearby ambulance on the side of the pitch for tests.

According to DAZN Italia, Banda sustained a knock to the chest around 40 seconds before he collapsed. He didn't lose consciousness, and initial reports are reassuring about his condition.

With the comeback, Napoli moved eight points clear of the chasing pack in the race for Champions League qualification, while Juventus continued to grind out results even on nights when the goals refused to flow.

SERIE A - MATCHDAY 29

Friday

Torino - Parma 4-1 (1-1)

/Simeone 3, Delprato 55 og, Keita 57 og, Zapata 90+1 - Pellegrino 20/

Saturday

Inter - Atalanta 1-1 (1-0)

/Esposito 26 - Krstovic 88/

Napoli - Lecce 2-1 (1-1)

/Hojlund 46, Politano 67 - Siebert 3/

Udinese - Juventus 0-1 (0-1)

/Boga 38/

Sunday

14.30: (3.05) Verona (3.10) Genoa (2.50)

17.00: (2.60) Pisa (3.05) Cagliari (2.95)

17.00: (2.60) Sassuolo (3.25) Bologna (2.80)

20.00: (2.15) Como (3.45) Roma (3.70)

22.45: (3.90) Lazio (3.45) Milan (2.10)

Monday

22.45: (3.80) Cremonese (3.45) Fiorentina (2.00)

***odds are subject to change***