One shot on target in Turin leaves Napoli 48 hours to change before Porto

The game in Turin fell apart between the 70th and 87th minutes, with Juventus taking 18 shots to Napoli's single effort on target. Farioli's Porto come next on Wednesday 4 November at 21:00 CET, and the question is which Napoli turn up.

by Gennaro SanninoMonday 2 November, 21:22 CET· 14 hours ago

Un tiro in porta a Torino, poi il Dragão: il Napoli deve cambiare faccia in 48 ore — Grafica Arena Napoli

Juventus put four shots on target. Napoli managed one. That is the number that sums up Juventus 2-0 Napoli.

Napoli had 51% of the ball and did nothing with it. For 70 minutes they posed no threat. Then they conceded twice in 17 minutes.

The sequence is simple, and it is ugly. Alajbegovic scored on 70 minutes. On 75, Marianucci, already booked on 38, picked up a second yellow and Napoli were down to ten. Boga settled it on 87.

The game swung Juventus's way in the five minutes between the goal and the red card. A match that had been open for 70 minutes was over within half an hour. What we cannot explain is why there was no reaction at all.

Landucci was on the bench because Allegri was suspended and watched from the stands. But this is Allegri's team, and he is the one who has to answer for how it handled that finale.

Porto wait for no one

On Wednesday 4 November at 21:00 CET (20:00 UK, 15:00 ET), Napoli face a very different opponent at the Estádio do Dragão. Farioli's Porto have won 10 out of 10 in the league. They have 30 points to Benfica's 22, with 25 goals scored and 4 conceded. On Sunday 1 November they beat Estoril 4-0.

In the Champions League, though, Porto have lost all three of their games. That is a weakness, but not one that should make anyone in Naples relax.

Napoli go into the European fixture 22nd with 3 points, after defeats to Arsenal and Villarreal and a 4-3 win over Bodø/Glimt. In this competition the fanbase does not forgive performances without character, and in Turin there was not even the will to try. If the same script plays out on Wednesday, Porto could be another night to forget.

The absence list does not help. Di Lorenzo and Olivera are not travelling to Portugal. Marianucci is not in the Champions League squad list. Lobotka, Neres, Badiashile, Spinazzola, Buongiorno, Favasuli and Alisson Santos are also out. Allegri will have to build a side with few specialist defenders and no comfortable alternatives.

De Laurentiis is staying in Geneva and will miss this trip too. His message to the squad was short.

"I believe in you"

What we are asking for is simple: more than one shot on target. The Dragão is not the place to rebuild slowly. It is where we find out whether Turin was a one-off or a way of playing.

After that, leaders Lazio visit the Maradona on Sunday 8 November at 12:30 CET.