Bologna ends Napoli streak
Print Edition
SERIE A title hopeful Napoli suffered its first defeat since the opening day of the season when it was stunned 2-3 at Roberto Donadoni’s resurgent Bologna yesterday.
Striker Mattia Destro scored in each half for Bologna, either side of a Luca Rossettini header.
While Gonzalo Higuain scored two late goals to set up a dramatic finale, Bologna held on to secure one of the unlikeliest results of the season and raise doubt about Napoli’s title credentials.
Napoli remains second on 31 points, missing the chance to retake top spot from Inter Milan, which beat Genoa 1-0 on Saturday, while victory takes Bologna out of the relegation zone and up to 15th on 16 points.
Maurizio Sarri’s side came into the match with the Serie A’s joint-best defensive record, having conceded only nine goals, and its backline had underpinned an 18-game undefeated streak in all competitions, stretching back to an opening-day loss at Sassuolo.
Bologna, though, has lost only once since Donadoni replaced Delio Rossi at the end of October and started strongly, taking the lead in the 14th minute.
Destro, who moved to Bologna from Roma during the summer, was picked out by a long ball from Amadou Diawara, and outmuscled Raul Albiol before slamming the ball past Pepe Reina for his third goal of the season.
Rossettini extended the advantage seven minutes later when he headed Franco Brienza’s pinpoint corner past Reina, before the Spanish ‘keeper let a first-time Destro shot slip past him on the hour mark.
Higuain revived Napoli when he pulled a goal back in the 87th after touching a Lorenzo Insigne cross past Mirante, and added another three minutes later.
In Spain, Real Sociedad striker Imanol Agirretxe scored his second goal in the 90th minute for a 2-1 comeback victory over Eibar in yesterday’s Basque Country derby.
Agirretxe tapped in the late winner after substitute Bruma used his thigh to knock on Esteban Granero’s lobbed pass.
Agirretxe’s first goal at Anoeta Stadium came in the 10th to cancel out Borja “Baston” Gonzalez’s early opener.
The goals were his 10th and 11th of the season, making him the league’s third-leading scorer. Only Barcelona pair Neymar (14) and Luis Suarez (13) have scored more in the competition through 14 rounds.
After failing to win at home this season under former coach David Moyes, Sociedad’s second win in three rounds under new manager Eusebio Sacristan lifted it into 13th place, five points above the relegation zone. Eibar stayed ninth.
Leader Barcelona drew 1-1 at Valencia on Saturday, allowing second-place Atletico Madrid and third-place Real Madrid to close the gap with victories.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
