A thrilling encounter at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona saw Napoli snatch a dramatic 2-1 comeback victory against Parma in Serie A. The match, marked by intense drama and unexpected twists, showcased the resilience of Napoli and the fighting spirit of the newly promoted Parma.
Parma, buoyed by their impressive victory over Milan in the previous round, looked set for another surprise win. They took the lead in the 19th minute when Ange-Yoan Bonny converted a penalty, giving Napoli a daunting task.
The visitors, however, failed to capitalize on their early lead and Napoli, bolstered by the arrival of new signing Romelu Lukaku, began to exert pressure. The momentum shifted dramatically when Parma goalkeeper Zion Suzuki was shown a second yellow card for a foul on David Neres, forcing defender Enrico Del Prato to take over goalkeeping duties with no substitutes remaining.
Napoli, sensing an opportunity, pushed forward relentlessly. While they believed they had won a penalty in the 90th minute for a foul on Giovanni Simeone, the VAR overturned the decision. However, two minutes later, Lukaku, making his debut for the club, equalized with a precise low shot from 12 yards out, following a through ball from Leonardo Spinazzolla.
The drama reached its peak in the 96th minute when Andre Zambo Anguissa headed home the winner in front of an ecstatic home crowd. The goal sealed a hard-fought victory for Napoli and highlighted the importance of resilience and perseverance in the face of adversity.
Lukaku, ecstatic with his debut performance and contribution, expressed his delight, stating, “It is an honor to play for this club, these fans and also for these lads, who gave me a really warm welcome. We worked really hard and the effort we put into training paid off. It is something of a habit that I score on my debut, but we won and that’s the most important thing. I am very happy, but now we need to work and keep winning.”
