Juventus needed two long-range finishes to beat Napoli 2-0 on Matchday 10 of Serie A, and the breakthrough came from an unexpected source. Kerim Alajbegović scored his first Serie A goal in the 70th minute, then Jérémie Boga wrapped it up in the 87th after Napoli were reduced to 10 men. It was a tight game for an hour, then it swung quickly.

At 14 points apiece before kick-off, Juventus vs Napoli always looked likely to be narrow. It was, until the final 20 minutes turned into Alajbegović's breakthrough and another damaging away night for Napoli.

Alajbegović's breakthrough goal changed the match

For 70 minutes Juventus had control without much reward. Then Alajbegović found the shot that changed it, driving in from the edge of the area with the ball going in off the far post.

That was his first Serie A goal, and it came on his ninth appearance in the Italian top flight. His 8.2 rating was the best on the pitch, which fits the feeling of the game too. He was the one player who turned a stale spell into a lead.

football-italia.net summed up the finish to the night this way: "Juventus got back on track by beating 10-man Napoli 2-0 thanks to a pair of long-range screamers by Kerim Alajbegovic and Jeremie Boga, but Luca Marianucci saw red."

That description is a little dramatic, but the basic point holds. Juventus did not carve Napoli open repeatedly. They won it with quality from distance when the game was still in the balance.

Marianucci's sending-off left Napoli exposed

Napoli were still alive in the contest after going behind, but Luca Marianucci being sent off in the 75th minute after a second yellow changed the closing stages. A one-goal deficit became much harder to manage with 10 men, especially away from home.

Once Juventus had the extra space, Boga took advantage. His goal is sometimes described only as a late second, but the timeline has it in the 87th minute, a right-foot curler into the far bottom corner for 2-0.

A Bola, in comments translated from Portuguese, reported: "Shots from outside the area from Alajbegovic and Boga gave the victory to the 'vecchia signora'. Francisco Conceição, injured, did not play".

The key point from both reports is the same even if the wording differs around the finish. Juventus won it through two strikes from outside the box, and Napoli's resistance weakened after the red card.

What the result means for both sides

This was not a dominant Juventus display from start to finish, but it was a cleaner and more convincing ending than the game had promised for most of the night. Boga's contribution off the bench mattered, Alajbegović got his breakthrough, and Juventus ended with two goals from two decisive moments.

Napoli will look at the dismissal first, but they also offered too little once they fell behind. They remain seventh in Serie A on 14 points after conceding twice, while Juventus are ninth on the same total after a win that at least steadies the mood.

The detail that lasts is straightforward: Alajbegović opened the scoring in the 70th minute, Marianucci was sent off five minutes later, and Boga finished the match in the 87th.

FAQ

Why was Kerim Alajbegovic's goal such a big moment for Juventus against Napoli?

Alajbegovic's opener broke a tense, goalless match in the 70th minute on Matchday 10 of Serie A. It was his first Serie A goal, scored with a shot from the edge of the area that went in off the far post, and it changed a tight game that had offered little separation before then.

How did Luca Marianucci's red card affect Juventus vs Napoli?

Marianucci was sent off in the 75th minute after a second yellow card, leaving Napoli with 10 men for the closing stages. Juventus were already 1-0 up by then, and the extra space helped them control the final stretch before Boga curled in the second goal in the 87th minute.

Did Jeremie Boga score late to finish Juventus vs Napoli?

Yes. Boga made it 2-0 in the 87th minute with a right-foot curler into the far bottom corner. Some reports only described it as a late goal, but the match timeline confirms the 87th minute.

Written by Daniel Hartley with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 3 outlets. How we work →