Second half goals from Andre Anguisissa and Rasmus Hojlund helped Napoli to fight back to earn a 2-1 home victory on Genoa on Sunday when the title defender switched the top of the classification of the Serie A 2025-26.
The perfect start of Napoli of the competition campaign was ended last weekend by a loss of 2-1 at AC Milan, and the side of Antonio Conte risked a second consecutive defeat for a spicy Fightback, which followed Roma’s earlier 2-1 victory in Fiorentina.
Napoli stands on 15 points, for Roma on goal difference, with AC Milan, who later pulled with Juventus on Sunday, and Inter M, Ilan both three points behind. Genoa, without a competition win, is second of the bottom on two points.
Conte chose to let Kevin De Bruyne rest after the Belgian midfielder had started all seven games this season and winger David Neres brought in.
Despite all his possession and attacking game, Napoli was unable to create a real danger in the first half.
The best chance of the host came from Genoa defender Alessandro Marcandalli’s attempt to approve, which the striker Hojlund ricochde and almost found the net.
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Genoa, who had registered two goals in his previous five league games, took the lead with a daring piece of magic from Jeff Ekhanor in the 33rd minute.
Brooke Norton-Cuffy completed Mathias Olivera, took the ball into the area and celebrated a pass that finished the 18-year-old Ekhanor with an agile rear heel attack from just within the six-year box.
Napoli lost Stanislav Lobotka to injury before the break, in which Conte Billy Gilmour introduced, and there were more problems for the hosts with Matteo Politano down, which led to De Bruyne who made his entrance five minutes in the second half.
Leonardo Spinazzola also emerged, and it was his cross that led to Napoli’s equalizer 12 minutes after the break, with his first attempt on goal.
Johan Vasquez van Genoa came to the cross for Hojlund, but the loose ball bounced in a friendly way for the unmarked Anguisissa to jump with a header.
Napoli finally started to motor forms, and after Hojlund had excluded a goal for offside and the header of Giovanni di Lorenzo collapsed on the upright, the winning goal came 15 minutes after time.
Anguisissa’s shot was reserved by the keeper, and this time Hojlund was there to take advantage of a low attack from the edge of the six-year box.
Published on October 6, 2025
