The match between Napoli and Spezia was unforeseeable; no one could have predicted that Spezia would beat Napoli in a jaw-dropping match. The match was an interesting one, and it kept many people in suspense, wondering who would win the match until Juan Jesus broke the silence. On Dec 22, 2021, the match came up at exactly 19:45 UTC at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona Stadium.
Previous encounters
Napoli and Spezia have met about six times; Napoli won four direct matches, drew zero matches while Spezia won two matches. This made the predictions for the game tricky as everyone expected Napoli to win the match, but the reverse was the case.
Ranking
Napoli has 40 points this season while Spezia has 16 points, and the former stays at fourth on the Serie A table while Spezia is in the 17th position.
Possession
SSC Napoli had a good performance throughout the game and greater possession (59%) than their opponent (41%). In contrast, it was the own goal from Juan Jesus that decided the game. Five shots on goal, ten corner kicks, twenty-four crosses, and two yellow cards show how outstanding the Napoli players’ performance was, but the own goal discredited it. Luca Massimi refereed the match, and the total attendance in the stadium was 25,000 people.
The unpredicted win for Spezia
The match began intensely, and both teams were competing for all three points. In the 4th minute, Napoli, while continuing to control the ball, had a chance of scoring, which Spezia halted. The players’ morale remained high, and both teams kept looking for a way to put the ball in the back of the net.
In the 12th minute, Piotr Zieliński sustained an injury. While he lay on the ground, the match’s first yellow card went to Spezia player Giulio Maggiore. As the match continued, Mertens gained control of the ball but shot outside the box. In the 37th minute, Spezia scored by an own goal from Juan Jesus while he tried and failed to clear a free-kick properly. With this only goal in the match, Spezia beat Napoli in a jaw-dropping match.
Napoli missed too many chances
Before the first half ended, Napoli could not take the chances they had, which kept the score at 0-1 in favor of Spezia. In the 53rd minute, Chucky Lozano beat the goalkeeper, but the referee disallowed the goal for being offside. Napoli had plenty of chances, but they continued to waste them. In the 74th minute, Petagna of Napoli received a yellow card, and Stanislav Lobotka was substituted for Elif Elmas. Five minutes of compensation was given, and the match ended at the 95th minute. It was a victory for Spezia at 0-1.
– Gamerz Lodge
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