Follow Al Rai
Napoli regained their winning form in the Italian Serie A football league, narrowly defeating Bologna 1-0 at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium on Sunday, as part of the fourth round of the competition.
Under the guidance of coach Massimiliano Allegri, Napoli ended a streak of three consecutive defeats, including losses to Como and Inter Milan in the league, and to Arsenal in the UEFA Champions League.
The "Partenopei" raised their points to 6, advancing to ninth place in the league standings, while Bologna's points remained frozen at one from a draw and three losses, placing them in 17th position.
Napoli started the match with attacking pressure in search of an early goal, nearly scoring through Antonio Vergara's header that went wide, following a cross from Belgian Kevin De Bruyne.
Bologna thought they had opened the scoring in the seventh minute when Scottish player Lewis Ferguson headed a free-kick into the net, but the goal was disallowed by VAR for offside.
Kevin De Bruyne missed a crucial chance for the hosts, shooting over the bar instead of passing to Massimo Pessina in a better position, while Bologna's defense held firm and prevented Napoli from scoring in the first half.
After the break, Napoli continued their dominance and controlled the game, coming close to scoring in the 63rd minute through Danish player Rasmus Hojlund with a shot from inside the penalty area, but the defense intervened.
The hosts' pressure finally paid off in the 66th minute when Slovakian Stanislav Lobotka scored from close range, giving his team a deserved lead.
Bologna tried to come back in the remaining minutes, but Napoli held on to their lead until the final whistle, securing a valuable victory that restored their confidence after a difficult start.
Know more about this story?Send us a tip
Ask about this report — answers stay grounded in its text.
