Rasmus Hojlund opened the scoring in the 7th minute. David Neres delivered a cross from the right wing, allowing Hojlund to slide in and tap the ball diagonally into the net. This marked Napoli's earliest goal against Juventus in Serie A since Fernando De Napoli scored in the 5th minute of a match on 1/4/1989.

Rasmus Hojlund (in blue) scores the opening goal in Napoli's 2-1 victory over Juventus on Serie A matchday 14 at Diego Armando Maradona Stadium, Napoli, Italy on 7/12. *AP*

Juventus equalized in the 59th minute when Kenan Yildiz struck a low shot diagonally into the goal. Yildiz is the second Juventus player in the past 50 years to score at least 5 goals in his first 15 Serie A matches of a season before turning 21, following Alessandro Del Piero, who scored 5 goals in the 1994-1995 season.

Hojlund secured the three points for Napoli in the 78th minute. Weston McKennie's attempt to head the ball clear inadvertently turned into an assist for the Danish forward, who headed in from close range to seal the 2-1 victory.

After the match, Hojlund attributed his return to goal-scoring form to instructions from the Napoli coaching staff, particularly regarding movement in the penalty area. This guidance helped him end his two-month goal drought in the domestic league.

"There are periods when forwards don't score, and I try to contribute in many different ways", the 22-year-old forward said. "I understand the coach needs me to hold up the ball, push the team higher, press, and help the team maintain its shape. I scored two goals tonight, but that's thanks to the efforts of my teammates and the entire coaching staff".

Hojlund further explained the strategy behind his opening goal. After scoring, he thanked David Neres for the assist and gestured towards the technical area to the coaching staff, indicating that this was a well-rehearsed play. "The coaching staff talked a lot about how I move in the penalty area", he said. "I often make runs to the far post, but they told me there was more space at the near post. I proactively attacked the near post, and it paid off. I am very happy".

Napoli players celebrate Hojlund's goal. *Reuters*

Hojlund joined Man Utd from Atalanta in summer 2023 with high expectations, for a fee of 88 million USD plus 11 million in add-ons. However, his performance became increasingly disappointing. In the 2024-2025 season, the Danish forward played 52 matches but scored only 10 goals, with 4 of those in the Premier League. In total, he has scored 26 goals and provided 6 assists in 95 appearances across all competitions.

This summer, Man Utd sent Hojlund to Napoli for a fee of 7 million USD, with a buy-option clause of 51,4 million USD if Napoli finishes this Serie A season in a Champions League qualification spot. The 22-year-old forward is integrating well, having already scored four goals in Serie A and two in the Champions League.

Although still under contract with Man Utd, Hojlund hinted at the possibility of continuing to play for Napoli. "Next season, I will answer interviews in Italian", the forward stated.

The 2-1 victory propelled Napoli to the top of Serie A with 31 points, one point ahead of Inter Milan. Juventus's 8-match unbeaten run across all competitions was broken, and they dropped to seventh place with 23 points.

In the next round, Napoli will visit Udinese, while Juventus will travel to Bologna.

Hong Duy