Serie A 2026/27 Matchweek 10 Recap: Juventus vs Napoli 2-0, Alajbegović Scores First Goal

Juventus vs Napoli: Kerim Alajbegović of Juventus celebrates his first Serie A goal at the Allianz Stadium in Turin.

I have watched a lot of Juve games from my couch in Utah. Sunday was the first time I jumped off it for a Bosnian in black and white.

Genoa 2-0 Juventus: The Wednesday That Started the Panic

Juve went to Genoa for midweek Matchweek 9 and were beaten 2-0 by two early counter-attacks. On 12 minutes Tommaso Baldanzi cut the ball back from the by-line and Kingsley Ehizibue scored at the back post despite a poor attempted clearance from Andrea Cambiaso. On 28 minutes Vitinha stole the ball from a clumsy Pierre Kalulu clearance and set up Baldanzi for the second.

A deflected Teun Koopmeiners free kick hit the underside of the bar in added time, and that was as close as Juve came.

Luciano Spalletti apologised to the fans afterwards and admitted he was struggling to make his players understand that football is now about winning duels. That was three defeats in four league games. Sunday against Napoli was suddenly a must-win.

Juventus vs Napoli 2-0: Patience, Then Fireworks

Both teams started on 14 points, and both had long injury lists. Juve were still without Kenan Yildiz, Manuel Locatelli, Khephren Thuram, Nico Gonzalez, Francisco Conceicao, Zeki Celik and keeper Kamil Grabara.

Napoli nearly scored after eight minutes, when Lorenzo Lucca dived to meet a Matteo Politano cross and Guglielmo Vicario palmed it off the line. Juve wanted a penalty when Juan Cabal collided with Mathias Olivera. Nothing given.

Then came the wasteful part. Noa Lang blazed over from 12 yards for Napoli. Alajbegović did the same for Juve. Deep in first-half stoppage time Alex Meret saved Alajbegović's angled shot. Zero-zero at the break, and I was already composing angry texts.

On 70 minutes the kid finally got one right. From the edge of the area he unleashed a shot into the top corner, in off the far post, with Edon Zhegrova credited with the assist.

Five minutes later Napoli were down to 10, when Luca Marianucci picked up his second yellow card for stepping on Cabal's foot. On 87 minutes sub Jeremie Boga, set up by Cambiaso, curled a right-footed shot into the far bottom corner from outside the box.

Here is the coach in me. Alajbegović blazed one over from 12 yards, had another saved, and kept shooting. I tell my young players that a striker who hides after two misses never scores the third one. He did not hide.

Spalletti said his players deserve all the credit for the win and hit back at the fans who had booed. Fair enough, but one win does not fix a squad this injured. Juve are seventh on 17 points, three behind sixth-placed Frosinone.

Bosnian Corner: Kerim Alajbegović

What a week for the boy. Subbed off at half-time in Genoa on Wednesday, match-winner against Napoli on Sunday. He started, scored his first Serie A goal, forced a save from Meret, set up Bremer, picked up a yellow card a minute after his goal, and left the pitch on 72 minutes to a standing ovation in my living room. Bosnia has a new reason to watch Juventus.

Lazio Top, Inter Wobble: Around Serie A

Gennaro Gattuso's Lazio came from behind to beat Cagliari 2-1 and are alone at the top for the first time in 16 years. They have 28 points from 10 games, and only Roma's 2013-14 side had more at this stage.

Lazio got there because AC Milan beat Inter 3-1 in Saturday's derby. Diego Moreira was everywhere: he crossed for Christian Pulisic's header after four minutes, set up Adrien Rabiot on 10, and curled in a free kick just before half-time. Alessandro Bastoni headed Inter's only goal. It was Milan's fourth straight derby win and Inter's first league defeat of the season.

Roma stay unbeaten after a 5-2 win at Udinese and sit third on 24, one point behind Inter on 25. Como beat bottom side Venezia 1-0 to climb back to fourth, and Frosinone beat Torino 2-0 to sit sixth, the surprise of the season. At the bottom, Venezia have three points, with Udinese and Parma on five.

Verdicts

• Juventus: A great night and a brilliant goal, but this squad is held together with tape. Fiorentina away will tell us more.
• Alajbegović: The best thing to happen to Juve this season, and I would say that even if he were not Bosnian.
• Lazio: Best start in club history. I do not believe it will last, but I have been wrong before.

Up next: Juventus at AZ Alkmaar (Europa League), then at Fiorentina (Serie A). Biggest game for my club next round: Fiorentina v Juventus.

Should Alajbegović start every game from now on? Tell me on Instagram @soccermaniak801.