Serie A | Napoli 2-2 Verona: Fierce comeback not enough for victory

Eljif Elmas got down the right on an inspired pass only to be denied by Lorenzo Montipò at the near post, while Gift Orban’s strike was straight at Vanja Milinkovic-Savic.

Verona took a surprising lead with the move that started from their own half, finishing with Chiekh Niasse’s low cross from the right for Martin Frese to turn in from three yards with a cheeky back-heel flick. It was a very special way to score his first ever Serie A goal.

Orban also drilled wide, then there were penalty appeals as the ball struck Alessandro Buongiorno on the top of the hand. Napoli argued he was being fouled by Lautaro Valentini, but the referee opted for a penalty following the VAR review. Milinkovic-Savic guessed the right corner, but couldn’t keep out the Orban spot-kick.

Rasmus Hojlund nodded the Giovanni Di Lorenzo cross over from close range, then the striker tried to set up Scott McTominay for a shot charged down by Unai Nunez inside the area.

Noa Lang forced a tricky save from Montipò and Napoli scored from the resulting corner, McTominay’s header going in despite a desperate Nicolas Valentini attempt to clear off the line.

Antoine Bernede’s effort was deflected over, but Napoli thought they had completed the comeback when McTominay knocked down a Matteo Politano cross for Hojlund to control and fire in from six yards. However, VAR disallowed the goal for Hojlund’s handling offence.

Moments later, Napoli had the ball in the net again, but this time it was disallowed for Amir Rrahmani’s offside after McTominay knocked down a free kick into his path.

The Partenopei eventually did manage to draw level when Di Lorenzo peeled away into the box and was ready to sweep a Luca Marianucci low cross from the right into the near bottom corner from 12 yards.

It remained wide open, as in stoppages Giovane’s lob was wide when sent through by Bernede, as Milinkovic-Savic was a long way off his line.

Napoli 2-2 Verona

Frese 17 (V), Orban pen 28 (V), McTominay 54 (N), Di Lorenzo 82 (N)

07-01-2026 17:30 MatchDay 19 Stadio Diego Armando Maradona

Napoli

Verona Live 2 - 2

Player statistic

1st half

		16'		Martin Frese (Assist: Cheikh Niasse)
		27'

Gift Orban     28' Gift Orban 2nd half

		52'		Domagoj Bradaric
Scott McTominay (Assist: Noa Lang)		54'
		75'

Armel Bella-Kotchap Giovanni Di Lorenzo (Assist: Luca Marianucci)

82'     Napoli Verona

Starting lineups

32

Vanja Milinković-Savić Goalkeeper 4

Alessandro Buongiorno Defender 13

Amir Rrahmani Defender 22

Giovanni Di Lorenzo Defender 3 Miguel Gutiérrez Defender 55' 20

Eljif Elmas Midfielder 62' 8

Scott McTominay Midfielder 68

Stanislav Lobotka Midfielder 21

Matteo Politano Attacker 70

Noa Lang Attacker 76' 19

Rasmus Højlund Attacker 1

Lorenzo Montipò Goalkeeper 37

Armel Bella-Kotchap Defender 12

Domagoj Bradaric Defender 78' 3 Martin Frese Defender Nicolás Valentini Defender 5

Unai Núñez Defender 24

Antoine Bernede Midfielder 63

Roberto Gagliardini Midfielder 9 Amin Sarr Attacker 64' 36

Cheikh Niasse Attacker 87' 16

Gift Orban Attacker

87'

Substitutes

5

Juan Jesus Defender 1

Alex Meret Goalkeeper 14 Nikita Contini Goalkeeper 17

Mathías Olivera Defender 98 Emmanuele De Chiara Midfielder 95 Vincenzo Prisco Midfielder 37

Leonardo Spinazzola Defender 55' 35 Luca Marianucci Defender 62' 27

Lorenzo Lucca Attacker 76' 21

Abdou Harroui Midfielder 20

Grigoris Kastanos Midfielder 34 Simone Perilli Goalkeeper 23

Enzo Ebosse Defender 94 Giacomo Toniolo Goalkeeper 73 Moatasem Al-Musrati Midfielder 2 Daniel Oyegoke Defender 19 Tobias Slotsager Defender 4 Yellu Santiago Midfielder 70 Fallou Cham Defender 17 Giovane Attacker 64' 15

Victor Nelsson Defender 78' 8

Suat Serdar Midfielder 87' 25

Daniel Mosquera Attacker

87'