Rasmus Hojlund scored a stoppage-time penalty to seal Napoli’s 3-2 win over Genoa, yet the dramatic victory highlighted deeper problems for the Serie A champions. Antonio Conte again faced a thin squad, and the result came amid serious injury issues that continue to shape Napoli’s title defence.
The match at Genoa also carried weight in the league table. Napoli remain third in Serie A, six points behind leaders Inter, while Genoa sit 14th and five points clear of the bottom three. Opta’s predictive model gives Napoli a 4.1% chance of retaining the title and rates Genoa’s relegation risk at 10.5%.
Conte has used this injury crisis to question Napoli’s squad planning. Romelu Lukaku stayed on the bench against Genoa, while Kevin De Bruyne was again unavailable.
Scott McTominay scored a powerful first-half goal but then went off injured, and Juan Jesus received a red card in the second half, adding suspension problems.
Conte argued that Napoli’s transfer decisions left the squad exposed compared with Serie A rivals. The coach stressed that options are limited beyond the senior group, with the youth academy offering little short-term help. Conte also faces uncertainty over several regular starters who remain out or short of full fitness.
"It is an absurd season, certainly, Conte told DAZN, as reported by Football Italia. If we are intelligent people, we all ought to reflect on the construction of the squad, on the transfer strategy that we did, because compared to other teams, we have a very reduced squad. We cant even look to the youth academy. We have players like [Frank] Anguissa, who cannot seem to make a full recovery, [Billy] Gilmour had surgery and still has problems, so did De Bruyne, Lukaku was out for a long time. [Giovanni] Di Lorenzo will be out for two months, we don't know what'sgoing to happen with McTominay. All we can do is pick up the remaining pieces, prepare for Como in the Coppa Italia, who even rested this weekend as their game against [AC] Milan was postponed. I don't know if McTominay can recover for that [game], but he'd be a big loss if he didn't. I always tell the lads, whether we win or lose, we must end the game with heads held high, having given our all, made the fans proud, and honoured the badge on the shirt. After that, lets be clear, it is so difficult. Players make the history of a match, a coach can only do so much when he doesnt have many players. "
Hojlund’s decisive spot-kick came after Antonio Vergara was judged to have been fouled by Maxwel Cornet. The late decision angered Genoa coach Daniele De Rossi, who had already spoken recently about the use of VAR and the current interpretation of penalty incidents in Serie A.
"I don't know what to say anymore, De Rossi told DAZN. I already talked last week about penalties. None of us know what aclear and obvious error is anymore. We no longer know if we have to step on a foot or just glance over it. The football that I played in no longer exists. I must tell my players to keep their arms behind their backs and not go into tackles. I don't know what sport I am coaching. "
Data underlined just how late Hojlund’s penalty was in Serie A terms. Opta noted that it was Napoli’s second-latest league penalty since the club returned to the top flight in 2007-08, with only Lorenzo Insigne’s 97:21 effort against Cagliari on 5 May 2019 coming later in a match.
94'35'' - Since #Napoli returned to #SerieA (2007/08), the penalty converted by Rasmus Hjlund at 94'35'' is the 2nd latest one scored by the Azzurri in the Italian top-flight after the one netted by Lorenzo Insigne vs Cagliari on 05/05/2019 (97'21''). Photofinish.#GenoanapoliOptaPaolo (@OptaPaolo) February 7, 2026
Conte now prepares Napoli for a Coppa Italia tie against Como, who did not play at the weekend because their fixture with AC Milan was postponed. With Giovanni Di Lorenzo sidelined for two months and doubts over McTominay’s fitness, Napoli enter that domestic cup match still short-handed.
Despite the late win and strong league position, Napoli’s season remains shaped by injuries and a small squad. Conte continues to rely on a limited core of players while chasing Inter in Serie A, and both Napoli and Genoa must adapt to tight margins and contentious decisions in the matches ahead.
