If Inter takes revenge on Fiorentina tomorrow for the debacle from a few days ago, they will be just one point behind Napoli. Few expected such a swift resurgence from the Nerazzurri in their chase for the Neapolitans…Udinese pulled off a surprise tonight, deservedly taking a point from the “Maradona” – 1:1. Napoli suffered their biggest slip-up of the season. True, they also lost 3:0 in Verona, but that was in the first round when Antonio Conte had yet to put the pieces together. Every other point drop came against direct rivals: Atalanta, Lazio, Juventus, Inter, and Roma.⏹️ Full time: #NapoliUdinese 1-1💙 #ForzaNapoliSempre pic.twitter.com/oHx7V8tFIP— Official SSC Napoli (@sscnapoli) February 9, 2025 More than half of Napoli’s wins this season have been by a single-goal margin, mostly against weaker opponents like Udinese. These hard-fought victories have been a hallmark of Conte’s team this season—the “small” wins that often lead to trophies. But fatigue eventually sets in, and the muscles wear out… That’s exactly what happened tonight—Napoli looked drained.A relaxed Udinese took advantage of it. Kosta Runjaic’s team has already exceeded all expectations. Their survival in the league is practically secured, and anything beyond that was never even considered. That sense of calm and freedom led to their aggressive approach against Napoli at the foot of Mount Vesuvius.Conte’s mutation: “Sports center matters more than Kvaratskhelia”Early on, Alex Meret had to make a crucial save, tipping Florian Tovan’s shot over the bar. At the other end, young Romanian goalkeeper Razvan Sava stood out, denying Scott McTominay and Matteo Politano. Both teams created chances in an open game that smelled of a goal fest. Meret stopped Jurgen Ekkelenkamp, while Jaka Bijol threatened twice from set pieces, signaling that Udinese was capable of an upset. Politano had another good attempt, McTominay missed a great chance, but he finally broke the deadlock on his third try.No Manchester United player has scored more league goals this season than Scott McTominay (6) 👀Loving life in Naples 🇮🇹 pic.twitter.com/0nIV2GCVpq— LiveScore (@livescore) February 9, 2025 The Scotsman soared for a towering header in the 37th minute to put Napoli ahead, and everything seemed to be going according to plan. But just four minutes later, he fell victim to a defensive blunder by Juan Jesus. A weak clearance sparked Udinese’s attack, and Ekkelenkamp capped it off with a rocket to equalize.That should have been a wake-up call for Napoli to push harder in the second half, but they simply lacked the energy. Udinese was well-organized defensively, shutting down all routes to goal, while Napoli aimlessly passed the ball around, hoping for a breakthrough. Perhaps Conte waited too long to make changes… 40’ EKKELENKAMP! Reazione immediata dell’Udinese: 1-1!👀#NapoliUdinese pic.twitter.com/irJ4xUC6RB— Lega Serie A (@SerieA) February 9, 2025 It wasn’t until the 70th minute that he made a triple substitution, bringing on his key physical presences—Romelu Lukaku and Zambo Anguissa. Noah Okafor also made his debut late on, but Napoli failed to mount a serious threat.A costly slip-up ahead of tough away matches against Lazio, a team they struggle against, and Como, who perform well against favorites.SERIE A – MATCHDAYFriday Como – Juventus 1-2 (1-1)/Diao 45+1 – Kolo Muani 34, 89 pen/Saturday Verona – Atalanta 0-5 (0-4)/Retegui 21, 25, 44, 56, Ederson 37/Empoli – Milan 0-2 (0-0)/Leao 68, Gimenez 76/Torino – Genoa 1-1 (1-0)/Thorsby 45+2 (og) – Pinamonti 68/Sunday Venezia – Roma 0-1 (0-0)/Dybala 57 pen/Cagliari – Parma 2-1 (0-0)/Vogliacco 57, Coman 70 – Leoni 78/Lazio – Monza 5-1 (1-0)/Marusic 31, Pedro 57, 77, Castellanos 63, Bashiru 88 – Sensi 86 pen/Lecce – Bologna 0-0Napoli – Udinese 1-1 (1-1)/McTominay 37 – Ekkelkamp 40/Monday 22.45: (1.47) Inter (4.30) Fiorentina (7.00)***odds are subject to change***
