Baturina’s double strike proved decisive as Como upset Napoli in a chaotic first-half display, with the Croatian forward scoring twice in a devastating 17-minute spell to secure Allegri’s difficult homecoming. Despite Napoli’s second-half adjustments, including the introduction of Kevin De Bruyne, Como’s superior control and possession proved too much to overcome on the day.
Massimiliano Allegri’s first home match as Napoli manager did not go to plan. Martin Baturina scored in the 17th minute and then assisted Anastasios Douvikas’s winner seven minutes after Napoli had leveled, giving Como a 2-1 victory at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona. According to sports.yahoo.com, the result ended a long Napoli hoodoo for Como, who left Naples with a historic win and gave Cesc Fabregas his first Serie A victory of the season, per fotmob.com.
Key Moments
- 17′, Martin Baturina opens the scoring for Como, finishing from a pass by Assane Diao to put the visitors ahead at the Maradona.
- 30′, Napoli level through Rasmus Højlund, set up by Amir Rrahmani, giving the hosts hope and tying the match at 1-1.
- 34′, Como restore their lead four minutes later. Baturina turns provider, teeing up Anastasios Douvikas to finish and make it 2-1.
- 37′, Giovanni Di Lorenzo picks up a yellow card for a foul, adding to Napoli’s difficult afternoon.
- 56′, Allegri sends on three substitutes at once, including Kevin De Bruyne for Scott McTominay, in an attempt to change the game in the second half.
Tactical Breakdown
Como controlled this match from the first whistle. Fabregas’s side finished with 58% possession, completed 555 of 609 passes at 91% accuracy, had 21 total shots to Napoli’s 13, and generated seven corner kicks. The numbers suggest a performance well beyond a smash-and-grab, even if their xG of 1.03 came in below their two goals. Napoli, on the other hand, were wasteful in front of goal, putting only 2 of their 13 shots on target and running up nine offsides.
The decisive period came in a chaotic 17-minute stretch in the first half. Como went ahead through Baturina, Napoli responded through Højlund, and then Baturina immediately set up Douvikas to restore the lead before half-time. That 34th-minute goal meant Allegri’s side were chasing the game from the interval onward. The Napoli manager made three changes at the 56th minute, bringing on Kevin De Bruyne, Leonardo Spinazzola, and Alisson Santos, but Como answered within two minutes with their own double substitution, taking off the influential Baturina and Yan Couto to manage the lead. Fabregas made two further changes in the second half to shore up his shape and run down the clock.
For Napoli, the defensive structure was the central problem. Allegri’s back line was caught flat twice in the first half, with Como’s quick combinations through Diao, Baturina, and Douvikas exposing the gaps. Alex Meret made four saves to keep the scoreline at 2-1, but Napoli’s inability to create clear-cut chances, two shots on goal across 90 minutes, meant they never threatened a second equalizer.
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Verdict
The defeat leaves Napoli 11th in Serie A with three points from two games, their home opener against Allegri ending in defeat and prompting a sharp reaction from the Gazzetta dello Sport, which reported the manager called the defensive errors ‘unacceptable.’ Como move to fourth place on four points after two matches, with Fabregas’s side looking sharper than most expected at this stage of the season. Inter, Milan, Juventus, and Lazio lead the table with six points each.
Como
Napoli