Higuain Stuns Juventus With Late Winner Against NapoliHiguain Stuns Juventus With Late Winner Against Napoli In a thrilling Serie A encounter, Gonzalo Higuain’s last-gasp goal handed Juventus a dramatic 2-1 victory over Napoli at the Allianz Stadium. The Argentine striker’s late strike silenced the passionate Napoli fans and extended Juventus’s unbeaten run to 12 matches in all competitions. Napoli took the lead against the run of play in the 10th minute when Eljif Elmas found space on the edge of the box and fired a low drive past Juventus goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny. Juventus responded well to the early setback and equalized in the 23rd minute through Dusan Vlahovic. The Serbian striker latched onto a through ball from Paulo Dybala and slotted it past Napoli goalkeeper David Ospina. The match ebbed and flowed in the second half, with both teams having chances to win it. Juventus substitute Arkadiusz Milik came close to scoring on several occasions, but he was denied by Ospina. At the other end, Napoli’s Hirving Lozano and Matteo Politano both went close, but their efforts were saved by Szczesny. As the match approached its conclusion, it seemed like the points would be shared. However, with just seconds remaining on the clock, Higuain rose above the Napoli defense to meet a cross from substitute Federico Chiesa and head the ball into the net. The Allianz Stadium erupted in a deafening roar as Juventus secured a vital victory that moved them to within seven points of Serie A leaders AC Milan. Higuain’s goal was his sixth in all competitions for Juventus this season and his first against Napoli since leaving the club in 2016. The Argentine striker’s late heroics earned him the praise of his manager, Massimiliano Allegri, who hailed him as a “champion.” “Gonzalo is a champion,” said Allegri. “He has scored important goals for us in the past, and he did it again tonight. He is a player who knows how to make the difference in big matches.” Napoli manager Luciano Spalletti was left to rue his team’s missed chances. “We had our chances to win the game, but we didn’t take them,” said Spalletti. “We played a good match, but we have to learn from our mistakes and move on.” Juventus’s victory extended their unbeaten run against Napoli to four matches in all competitions. The Bianconeri will be looking to continue their good form when they travel to Udinese on Saturday, while Napoli will be hoping to bounce back when they host Hellas Verona on Monday.
