Napoli, the reigning champions of Italy, truly made their fans sweat through the second round of the Italian league. They managed to pull off a tough 1-0 victory against Cagliari, but only just. The crucial winning goal didn’t arrive until deep into stoppage time, leaving everyone on the edge of their seats until the very last whistle.
It wasn’t long ago, just three months back, that these two teams faced off at the iconic Diego Armando Maradona stadium. That game saw Napoli win 2-0, kicking off their massive celebrations for claiming their fourth Scudetto title. This time around, the tension was much higher, even for the champions.
Antonio Conte’s players, despite their clear domination throughout the match, struggled to break the deadlock. It took until the 90th minute plus five for Frank Anguissa to finally find the back of the net. Before that dramatic moment, Cagliari’s goalkeeper, Elia Aprile, was a brick wall, denying several good chances from Napoli’s Scott McTominay and Leonardo Spinazzola. He truly kept his team in the game almost to the very end.
This hard-fought victory puts Napoli at the top of the championship standings for now. They share the lead with six points alongside Cremonese and Roma. Cremonese snagged their six points by defeating Sassuolo 3-2 on Friday. Napoli now waits to see the outcomes of Inter’s match against Udinese and Juventus’s game in Genoa to get a clearer picture of the top spots.
Meanwhile, Roma also got off to a strong start. The team from the capital secured their second win under manager Gianpero Gasperini, beating newly promoted Pisa. It seems they are finding their rhythm early in the season.
Things aren’t looking quite as bright for Gasperini’s former team, Atalanta. They’re still searching for their first win of the season after a 1-1 draw against Parma. This result leaves them in ninth position, with just two points from their opening games.
Another result from today saw Como fall to Bologna with a 1-0 loss. This defeat dropped Como out of the leading group, placing them in seventh position with three points. The early league table is certainly shaping up to be quite a competitive one.