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Previously at the San Paolo

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Previously at the San Paolo
Previously at the San Paolo
Previously at the San Paolo

Over the course of Serie A history, 68 matches between Sunday’s opponents Napoli and Juventus have taken place at the San Paolo with the Bianconeri’s record currently reading 20 victories, 26 draws and 22 defeats.

The statistics are quite similar in terms of goals scored too, with the Partenopei having hit the target 84 times whilst the Old Lady have done so on 78 occasions.

Now, Juventus.com turns back the clock to a septet of memorable meetings involving the duo because when Napoli and Juventus lock horns, it’s normally a classic.

Napoli 2-6 Juventus, 15 December 1974

The Bianconeri bagged themselves a tennis scoreline as they beat Napoli 6-2 during an incredible night of football at the San Paolo.

With 26 minutes gone Juventus took the lead, Antonello Cuccureddu standing up a cross to the back post which Jose Altafini headed home.

Minutes later, it was two. Altafini was hauled down in the area courtesy of a clumsy challenge and Oscar Damiani dispatched the resulting spot kick past his old employers. And it was 3-0 before the break, Damiani again making his mark when he nodded in from close range following a defensive mixup.

Roberto Bettega then put his stamp on proceedings by sidefooting a delicious effort past ex-Juventus shotstopper Pietro Carmignani seven minutes after the restart. Sergio Clerici pulled one back for the hosts with a fizzing shot from just outside the area but Juventus were next to score when Franco Causio lashed home into the top corner.

Clerici got his name on the scoresheet once more on 74 minutes before then being presented with a gilt-edged opportunity to make it 5-3 only 60 seconds later from the penalty spot. This time, however, he was unable to keep his nerve and dragged the spot-kick wide.

It was six of the best for the visitors when a clever free-kick found Fernando Viola unmarked in the area and he took one touch before shooting low under the goalkeeper with five minutes remaining.

Napoli 2-4 Juventus, 1 April 1989

Title-chasing Napoli welcomed the Bianconeri to a sunny San Paolo in the spring of 1989 as they looked to keep up with pacesetters Inter at the summit.

And the home side got off to the best possible start when Fernando De Napoli put them in front with a venomous half-volley after only five minutes. Juventus, however, levelled soon after through the Partenopei’s namesake Nicolò Napoli.

It was 2-1 to the visitors on the half-hour mark thanks to Renato Buso’s brave finish. The midfielder beat the goalkeeper to the ball in the build-up, evading what could have been a nasty collision.

Four minutes following the restart, Careca popped up to make it 2-2 with a strike that nearly broke the Bianconeri net. But instead of Napoli going forth and taking the initiative, the pendulum swung in favour of Juventus and on 60 minutes Buso went down the other end before finishing emphatically past a despairing Giuliano Giuliani dive.

With Napoli trying desperately to equalise, gaps soon appeared at the back as they pushed forward in search of that all-important third and Juventus ultimately won a penalty deep into stoppage time, Marino Magrin firing in from 12 yards to seal an amazing triumph.

Napoli 0-1 Juventus, 20 October 1991

Close encounters decided by a solitary goal come as somewhat of a rarity when Sunday’s opponents come to blows but back in 1991, it happened.

During an afternoon kick-off, Napoli started the brighter and hit the upright from an Alemao free-kick before Juventus went straight down the other end and took the lead against the run of play. Luigi De Agostini latched on to a square ball to fire a spectacular piledriver into the top corner at the end of first-half injury time.

A barrage of opportunities followed for the hosts as Giovanni Trapattoni's men had to weather a Napoli onslaught throughout the second half . In the end, De Agostini's goal would prove to be enough for the Bianconeri – who would battle Milan all the way for the Serie A title that season but ultimately lose out by eight points – to register a fine win on Neapolitan soil.

Napoli 2-3 Juventus, 4 October 1992

Determined to put the disappointment of a second-place finish last time out, the Bianconeri headed to the San Paolo during the 1992/93 season eager to show their mettle for another title tilt.

Following a period of sustained Partenopei pressure in which they could have easily conceded, the Old Lady went ahead through Roberto Baggio’s low finish after only five minutes.

With chances for either side having come and gone, Juventus broke forward and doubled their advantage when Andreas Moller finished off a flowing move 12 minutes into the second half.

Gianluca Vialli looked to have sealed all three points on 80 minutes before Napoli rallied late on and got themselves back in it thanks to goals from Daniel Fonseca (who would go on to play for the Bianconeri) and Gianfranco Zola, but it was a case of too little too late and Juventus hung on for a famous win at the San Paolo.

Napoli 1-2 Juventus, November 1997

Marcello Lippi's Juventus - who would go on to win their 24th title at the culmination of the 1996/97 season - arrived at the home of a Napoli outfit who finished just nine points off the relegation zone in the previous campaign.

Zinedine Zidane’s sidefoot finish put the reigning champions in front just seven minutes shy of the interval before Claudio Bellucci equalised 13 minutes following the restart.

A tight game looked to be petering towards a draw right up until Fonseca made himself a hero by putting Juventus 2-1 in front with only 120 seconds left on the referee’s watch.

Napoli 1-2 Juventus, 30 September 2000

The Bianconeri would then win by the same scoreline three years later on the opening day of the 2000/01 season.

Napoli went ahead when Roberto Stellone tapped in from close range before Darko Kovacevic headed home Zidane’s cross to equalise midway through the second half. Captain marvel Alessandro Del Piero ensured all three points 16 minutes from time as he curled in an exquisite effort from all of 25 yards .

Victories in Naples have been hard to come by in recent years for the Bianconeri with this serving as the last time they brought all three points back up to Turin.

Napoli 3-3 Juventus, November 2011

Napoli and Juventus played out an entertaining 3-3 stalemate in which the Bianconeri twice had to come from two goals down to salvage a draw.

Having missed a penalty he had to retake on two occasions, Marek Hamsik headed Napoli into the lead on 23 minutes before Goran Pandev doubled the Partenopei's advantage just before the break when his pinpoint drive crashed into the back of the net.

The Old Lady hauled themselves back into the game through Alessandro Matri’s deft finish three minutes into the second half but went further behind when Pandev swivelled away from a challenge before firing past Gigi Buffon.

The goals didn’t stop there though as first Marcelo Estigaribbia's finish and then Simone Pepe’s fine solo effort saw Juventus battle back for a share of the spoils during the final 18 minutes. A result that would ultimately spur them on to a first Serie A title since 2006.

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