MILAN (AP) — Napoli are struggling to find goals without Kevin De Bruyne.
Antonio Conte’s side lost 2-0 to Bologna on Sunday. Despite using a teenage goalkeeper as their third choice, the opponent failed to score in three consecutive games.
With this defeat, Napoli lost their place at the top of Serie A, being overtaken by Roma who beat Udinese 2-0. If Inter Milan wins against Lazio after this, there is a possibility that they will be tied with Roma (2 points above Napoli and AC Milan).
Fifth place Bologna is three points behind Roma.
De Bruyne injured He won 3-1 against Inter last month, but will likely be sidelined until the new year. Napoli won 1-0 against Lecce in their first match without the former Manchester City midfielder, but then drew goalless with Como and Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League.
rear Milan vs Parma draw Napoli knew the day before that a win on Sunday would take them to the top of Serie A.
And that chance seemed to get even better when Bologna goalkeeper Łukasz Skorupski was forced off in the eighth minute with a muscular injury, leaving 17-year-old Massimo Pessina to make his senior debut.
However, Napoli never really tested their keeper and Bologna broke the deadlock five minutes into the second half despite losing another player, Jonathan Lowe, to injury.
Substitute Nicolo Cambiaghi set up the opening goal by bursting down the left flank, rolling the ball wide for Thais Dalinga to score at the near post.
Bologna extended their lead to two points in the 66th minute when Colombian national team defender John Lucumi headed in a cross to score his first goal in Serie A.
Roma rises to first place
Roma defender Zeki Celik scored his first goal in Serie A, sealing the victory and giving Roma the lead.
After a one-two with Gianluca Mancini, Çelik made a brilliant move in the 61st minute to extend Roma’s lead to two points.
The Turkish international has only scored once in the Europa League in his last three seasons with Roma.
Lorenzo Pellegrini put Roma ahead just before half-time after Udinese defender Hasan Camara was penalized for handball.
new management team
Genoa’s new manager Daniele De Rossi Fiorentina’s opponent Paolo Vanoli made his debut in a 2-2 draw, which also included a penalty save from David de Gea.
Fiorentina remained at the bottom of the table, two points below Genoa and three points from safety.
Atalanta fell into further crisis after losing 3-0 at home to Sassuolo.
Atalanta defeated Marseille in the Champions League in midweek, but this was their seventh league game without a win.
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