Juventus beat Napoli 1-0 at the Juventus Stadium on Saturday night.
Though the first-half was played at fierce speed, it ended goalless with chances coming at a premium as both defences performed to the best of their ability.
After the interval, the game continued to be an enthralling yet tight affair as both teams struggled to break each other’s defences down, until Simone Zaza brilliantly opened the scoring in the 87th minute.
Despite the game starting at a roaring pace, it took until the 34th minute for either team to create a decent chance.
Elseid Hysaj drove forward and curled in a wonderful cross, which was poised to meet the head of Gonzalo Higuain, however Leonardo Bonucci made a superhuman intervention to stop an almost certain goal from the Argentinian forward.
From the resulting corner Raul Albiol floundered an excellent opportunity; the ball was viciously whipped into box and fell to the unmarked Spaniard who directed his effort goalwards.
Yet, the evergreen Gianluigi Buffon made an impossible save to deny the Partenopei the lead.
The Bianconeri started the second-half on top and should have scored when Claudio Marchisio crossed to back post, where Sami Khedira knocked the ball down to Patrice Evra, but the Frenchmen blasted the ball in row Z.
Paulo Dybala was next to miss an excellent chance. Paul Pogba faced up Hysaj before pulling the ball back to Dybala on the edge the penalty box, yet the usually composed Argentine curled his shot over the bar.
In 87th minute Zaza produced a moment of magic. After receiving the ball outside the penalty box he turned Kalidou Koulibaly, before smashing a shot which took a deflection to take it past Pepe Reina.
The result leaves Juventus in first place one point above their opponents Napoli in second.
Source: forzaitalianfootball.com