Napoli tops Bologna 1-0 as Lobotka’s strike ends three-match losing streak

Three straight losses will test any squad’s nerve. Stanislav Lobotka apparently decided he’d had enough, slotting home the only goal of the match in the 66th minute to give Napoli a 1-0 win over Bologna at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on September 13.

The result lifts Napoli to 6 points through four Serie A matchdays after a run that saw Massimiliano Allegri’s men drop three consecutive fixtures across league and Champions League play — defeats to Inter, Como, and Arsenal. For Bologna, the math is uglier: one point from four games, with the relegation zone uncomfortably close.

How the goal happened

The first 65 minutes were a grinding, low-event affair. Napoli held the ball for roughly 57-58% of possession but struggled to convert territory into clear chances.

Then substitute Costantino Favasuli changed the texture of the game. His assist found Lobotka in a dangerous position, and the Slovak midfielder finished to score the only goal.

Lobotka is not typically the name you circle on the scoresheet. The 31-year-old, who joined Napoli in January 2020, is more architect than assassin, the kind of central midfielder whose best work shows up in pass maps rather than highlight reels.

Bologna did threaten an equalizer. Arthur Theate found the net at one point, only for the goal to be chalked off for offside.

Allegri’s squad depth on display

The Napoli lineup card featured Kevin De Bruyne starting in midfield alongside Lobotka and Billy Gilmour, with Rasmus Højlund leading the line up front. Yet the breakthrough came from substitute Favasuli, whose introduction proved to be the tactical tweak that unlocked a stubborn Bologna defense.

Bologna’s early-season struggles

For Domenico Tedesco, the picture is considerably bleaker. Bologna sit on a single point from four matches. The Theate disallowed goal captured Bologna’s afternoon in miniature: close enough to taste a result, denied by the thinnest of margins. Bologna featured players including Lewis Ferguson and Nicolò Cambiaghi but created limited clear opportunities throughout the match.

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