In a thrilling Serie A encounter, Napoli emerged victorious with a 2-1 win over Parma, thanks to a late surge led by debutant Romelu Lukaku. The match, which saw Parma reduced to 10 men and forced to field an outfield player as goalkeeper, showcased the drama and unpredictability of Italian football.
Parma took an early lead through Ange-Yoan Bonny’s penalty, capitalizing on a strong start that saw them hit the woodwork twice. The visitors displayed impressive resilience and tactical discipline, frustrating Napoli for much of the game.
The turning point came when Parma’s goalkeeper Zion Suzuki received a second yellow card for a collision with David Neres. With all substitutions used, defender Enrico Delprato had to don the gloves for the final stages.
Lukaku, making his debut after a deadline day move, equalized for Napoli with a clinical finish, showcasing his immediate impact. The Belgian striker turned his defender and converted a Leonardo Spinazzola through ball, demonstrating why Antonio Conte was keen to bring him to Naples.
The drama continued into stoppage time, with Andre Frank Zambo Anguissa heading home the winner from a David Neres cross. Neres, a substitute, provided his second assist in as many appearances, proving his value to the team.
Parma nearly snatched a point at the death, but Napoli goalkeeper Alex Meret made a crucial save from Pontus Almqvist to secure the victory.
Goals: Bonny pen 19 (P), Lukaku 92 (N), Anguissa 96 (N)
Napoli (3-4-2-1): Meret; Di Lorenzo, Rrahmani, Buongiorno; Mazzocchi (78′ Simeone), Anguissa, Lobotka, Olivera (46′ Olivera); Politano (70′ Neres), Kvaratskhelia, Raspadori (61′ Lukaku). All. Conte
Parma (4-2-3-1): Suzuki; Coulibaly, Balogh (73′ Osorio), Circati, Valeri; Sohm, Bernabé; Man, Kowalski (57′ Almqvist), Mihaila (73′ Charpentier); Bonny (57′ Cancellieri). All. Pecchia
Arbitro: Tremolada.
