Juventus endured a 2-1 defeat at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona against Napoli, demonstrating that coach Luciano Spalletti needs more time to address persistent issues within the team. Napoli clinched victory thanks to a brace from former Manchester United striker Rasmus Hojlund, signaling their resurgence under the leadership of Antonio Conte as they now lead the Serie A standings by one point over Inter Milan.

On Juventus’s side, they faced considerable difficulties in creating scoring opportunities and ultimately fell short despite a goal from Kenan Yildiz, assisted by Weston McKennie.

Spalletti admitted after the game, “We didn’t produce as much as we could, but we need to sit down and talk because we still showed the same issues. In my opinion, we can do better than today; we gave them an incredible number of chances. If you don’t lead it yourself, you end up being a passenger to others who make decisions and you have to adapt.”

The absence of Dusan Vlahovic, who is recovering from surgery, further emphasizes Juventus’s struggles. With Jonathan David failing to make a significant impact, Vlahovic’s future at the club remains uncertain, especially with his contract expiring in the summer of 2026.

The match against Napoli was particularly disappointing for Spalletti, marking his first loss since joining Juventus on October 30, after a string of four wins and three draws. Juventus’s attacking stats were underwhelming; their xG against Napoli was their lowest this season, alongside season-worst figures in touches inside the box and shots taken, underscoring their need for improvement.