Serie A | Napoli 1-0 Bologna: Lobotka light at the end of the tunnel

NAPLES, ITALY - SEPTEMBER 13: Stanislav Lobotka of SSC Napoli celebrates after scoring his side first goal during the Serie A match between SSC Napoli and Bologna FC at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on September 13, 2026 in Naples, Italy. (Photo by Francesco Pecoraro/Getty Images)

Napoli scraped a 1-0 victory thanks to Stanislav Lobotka to stem the crisis, but Bologna’s disastrous campaign has them on one point from four rounds.

The Partenopei were in crisis after three consecutive defeats to Como, Inter and Arsenal. Alex Meret and Alisson Santos picked up injuries in that midweek Champions League loss, joining Scott McTominay, Andre Frank Zambo Anguissa, Giovane, Alessandro Buongiorno and Luca Marianucci on the treatment table. Kevin De Bruyne and Billy Gilmour only got their first starts of the season against Arsenal, but remained, with Antonio Vergara preferred to Noa Lang after disciplinary action.

Bologna weren’t doing any better, scraping one point from three rounds and with coach Domenico Tedesco beginning a two-match touchline ban. Artem Dovbyk, Riccardo Orsolini, Nadir Zortea and Oussama El Azzouzi didn’t make the trip, while Lukasz Skorupski was dropped for turning up late to a meeting, replaced by teenager Massimo Pessina.

See how it all unfolded on the Liveblog.

Vergara nearly scored in the third minute when Emil Holm did enough to put him off when heading the De Bruyne cross, while Bologna did have the ball in the net on seven minutes thanks to Arthur Theate meeting a long Lewis Ferguson free kick, but his header was disallowed for offside.

De Bruyne turned over from the edge of the area on a Leonardo Spinazzola roll across, with Rasmus Hojlund’s diving header skimming an open goal on the Matteo Politano cross, as 18-year-old Pessina mistimed the intervention.

Vergara and Federico Bernardeschi tested the goalkeepers at either end, but Noa Lang and Costantino Favasuli were introduced for the restart, with Lang firing wide within 40 seconds, then Favasuli nutmegging Juan Miranda.

De Bruyne surged through the middle, denied by Theate and Ferguson flinging themselves in the way of the finish inside the penalty area.

Hojlund’s turn in a crowd was deflected inches wide of the far post, but the deadlock was finally broken when Favasuli pulled back from the by-line and Lobotka surprised Marco Libra to turn in through Pessina’s legs at the near post from six yards.

Pessina did well to deny a second, as he rushed off his line and held up a hand to keep out the Hojlund dinked finish on a Lobotka pass.

Bologna struggled to get back into the game until the final minutes, when Samuel Mbangula fired straight at Milinkovic-Savic and Enem couldn’t keep his header down.

Favasuli stung the goalkeeper’s gloves after an error playing out from the back, but Allegri was furious at Lorenzo Lucca in stoppages for ignoring Lang and going for goal on the counter.

It’s no secret where Bologna’s problems lie, as they failed to score in three out of four games.

Lobotka 66 (N)

1st half

2nd half

Napoli

Bologna

32

Goalkeeper

13

Defender

22

Defender

37

Defender

16

Defender

26

Midfielder

46'

6

Midfielder

11

Midfielder

88'

68

Midfielder

21

Attacker

46'

19

Attacker

75'

25

Goalkeeper

3

Defender

2

Defender

33

Defender

14

Defender

19

Midfielder

8

Midfielder

66'

4

Midfielder

58'

10

Attacker

82'

28

Attacker

82'

91

Attacker

58'

14

Goalkeeper

7

Attacker

5

Defender

31

Defender

12

Goalkeeper

70

Attacker

46'

2

Midfielder

46'

20

Attacker

75'

17

Defender

88'

29

Defender

1

Goalkeeper

16

Defender

41

Defender

23

Defender

5

Defender