Udinese secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Napoli at home, with J. Ekkelenkamp’s 73rd-minute strike proving the difference in a gritty Serie A encounter.
The match was defined by Udinese’s resilience and Napoli’s wasteful attacking display. Despite dominating possession with 61.8%, the visitors failed to register a single shot on target from their seven attempts—a damning statistic that encapsulated their offensive struggles.
Udinese’s afternoon threatened to boil over early when N. Zaniolo picked up a yellow card in the 33rd minute. The forward then found himself at the center of controversy twice more. K. Davis thought he’d broken the deadlock in the 52nd minute, only for VAR to rule the goal offside. Seventeen minutes later, Zaniolo had a goal disallowed after VAR detected a foul in the buildup.
The breakthrough finally arrived in the 73rd minute when Ekkelenkamp fired home, rewarding Udinese’s persistence despite managing just 38.2% possession. Their 18 shots—five on target—told the story of a side willing to take chances against a superior opponent on paper.
Napoli manager frantically searched for answers, introducing N. Lang and S. Beukema in the 61st minute, followed by A. Buongiorno in the 75th, and a double substitution of L. Spinazzola and E. Elmas in the 83rd. Nothing worked. Udinese’s goalkeeper didn’t need to make a single save, while his Napoli counterpart made four crucial stops.
The expected goals metric (Udinese 1.15, Napoli 0.92) reflected the home side’s superior threat. Udinese’s defensive commitment showed in their 32 effective clearances and 16 fouls—tactical disruption that prevented Napoli from finding rhythm.
Ekkelenkamp departed immediately after his heroics, leaving to a standing ovation as Udinese saw out a statement victory.
