Napoli's offensive struggles continued as they were defeated 2-0 by Bologna at Stadio Renato Dall'Ara in Serie A. Thijs Dallinga and Jhon Lucumi scored in the second half, propelling Bologna to fifth place
while Napoli slipped to second. This marked Napoli's third league loss of the season and their third consecutive game without a goal across all competitions.
Bologna had to make an early change when goalkeeper Lukasz Skorupski was injured, leading to Massimo Pessina's senior debut. Pessina quickly proved his worth by saving Eljif Elmas' shot after a swift Napoli counter-attack. As the match progressed, Bologna gained momentum, with Dallinga's long-range effort requiring a save from Vanja Milinkovic-Savic.
In the second half, Nicolo Cambiaso set up the opening goal with a run down the left flank, crossing for Dallinga who flicked it past the keeper. Riccardo Orsolini's volley was saved by Milinkovic-Savic, but Lucumi later headed Emil Holm's cross into the bottom-right corner, sealing Bologna's win.
Napoli failed to mount a comeback and ended with fewer than five shots for the first time since February 2021 against Atalanta. They managed just one shot on target and accumulated only 0.26 expected goals (xG). In contrast, Bologna had 11 shots with four on target, resulting in 0.94 xG.
Elsewhere in Serie A, Atalanta suffered another defeat, losing 3-0 to Sassuolo. Fiorentina remained at the bottom of the table after drawing 2-2 with Genoa. Both Paolo Vanoli and Daniele De Rossi debuted as managers for their respective clubs during these matches.
Bologna is experiencing its best start in Serie A since adopting the three-points-for-a-win system, amassing 21 points from 11 games. They have won six of their opening matches for the first time since the 1996-97 season.
WE BEAT THE LEAGUE LEADERS ON HOME TURF #WeAreOne pic.twitter.com/YaL4iCDT3W
— Bologna FC 1909 (@BolognaFC1909en) November 9, 2025
This defeat marks Napoli's first instance of failing to score in three straight matches since late 2023 into early 2024. Their lacklustre performance highlights ongoing challenges in front of goal as they seek to regain form in upcoming fixtures.
