Juventus Vs Napoli Serie A 2026/2027: How Luciano Spalletti Tactics Escaped The Pressure With A Scrappy Win - Tactical Analysis

Juventus and Napoli faced off this past weekend in what felt like a crucial game in the race for UEFA Champions League football in Serie A.

The two teams were on the same number of points going into the match, with 14 points apiece after nine games, leaving them seventh and eighth, respectively.

A loss for either team would put them nine points back in fourth place (currently occupied by Como).

Both teams have also already been through something of a crisis.

Luciano Spalletti had put his Juve into 'Ritiro' (an Italian tradition of keeping a crisis team in a hotel, away from the outside world so they can focus on training).

Massimiliano Allegri watched this from the sidelines, as he was banned after one of his classic meltdowns.

The game lacked quality until the final 20 minutes.

Both teams lacked cohesiveness and ideas, with total expected goals under one each (0.79 to 0.52).

It then exploded into life thanks to 19-year-old Kerim Alajbegović.

His wonder goal (more on that later in the piece) gave Juventus the lead, and Napoli unfolded after that.

This tactical analysis looks at how both teams set up and tried to fix their middling form with different degrees of success.

Juventus Vs Napoli Lineups & Formations

Juventus Lineup Vs Napoli

Spalletti changed things drastically after suffering defeat to Genoa (2-0) in mid-week.

He shifted from a 3-4-2-1 to a 4-4-2 in a dual attempt to make his team more solid and to have another attacker on the pitch.

Guglielmo Vicario remained in goal, with (from left to right) Juan Cabal, Jhon Lucumí, Gleison Bremer, and Pierre Kalulu ahead of him, with Andrea Cambiaso and Federico Gatti dropped from the starting XI.

Douglas Luiz kept his place in a midfield two, with Teun Koopmeiners replacing Pape Sarr.

To their left was goalscorer Alajbegović and to their right was Weston McKennie.

Randal Kolo Muani and Nick Woltemade formed a partnership up front.

Juve made all five changes during the game, with Gatti replacing McKennie just after half-time, Edon Zhegrova replacing Kolo Muani on the hour mark, and Lloyd Kelly, Jérémie Boga, and Cambiaso replacing Lucumí, Cabal and Alajbegović later in the second half.

Napoli Lineup Vs Juventus

Napoli (who had won 4-1 away at Monza in their previous game) were forced into some personnel changes but kept their same 4-3-3 shape.

Alex Meret replaced Vanja Milinković-Savić in goal.

Mathias Olivera, Rafa Marín and Giovanni Di Lorenzo kept their place in the back four, while Luca Marianucci replaced the injured Amir Rrahmani.

Kevin De Bruyne replaced Stanislav Lobotka in midfield, partnered alongside Scott McTominay and Frank Anguissa.

Noa Lang and Matteo Politano kept their places out wide, with Lorenzo Lucca coming in to replace Rasmus Højlund.

Allegri's assistant, Claudio Lieto, also made five changes.

Rrahmani and Billy Gilmour came on at half-time.

Antonio Vergara came on at 0-0, while Sam Beukema and Giovane came on later.

A Cagey First Half

The first half felt like two teams trying to feel each other out, desperate not to make a mistake and add to the misery their season has seen so far.

For context, Opta recorded no 'big chances'.

Juventus Average Position Map (Via SofaScore)

Napoli Average Position Map (Via SofaScore)

Both teams, however, went about it in very different ways.

Napoli dominated possession, with 57%.

They looked to move the ball from side to side and make the pitch at the Allianz Stadium as wide as possible, as their average positions above show.

They out-passed their opponents 223-150.

The problem for Gli Azzurri was that, for all their possession and passes, there was next to no penetration or attacking instinct.

They had just four shots total in 45 minutes.

They touched the ball just eight times inside the box.

If you'd watched only the first 10 minutes, that would have been surprising.

Napoli's best chance of the game came in the seventh minute.

They press high in Juve's half and turn the ball over.

After some weaker crosses are cleared, the ball ends up at Politano's feet.

He swings in an inch-perfect cross, and Lucca's movement and physicality are impressive as he gets across his marker and directs a strong header on target.