Napoli’s goal drought continues with 2-0 loss to Bologna in Serie A, Roma moves top

By Canadian Press on November 9, 2025.

MILAN (AP) — Napoli is struggling to find goals without Kevin De Bruyne.

Antonio Conte’s side lost 2-0 at Bologna on Sunday as it failed to score for a third successive match despite its opponent playing with a teenage, third-choice goalkeeper.

The defeat also saw Napoli lose top spot in Serie A as it was leapfrogged by Roma, which beat Udinese 2-0. Inter Milan can move level with Roma — two points above Napoli and AC Milan — if it beats Lazio later.

Fifth-placed Bologna is three points below Roma.

De Bruyne was injured in a 3-1 win over Inter last month and will likely be out until the new year. Napoli managed a 1-0 win at Lecce in its first match without the former Manchester City midfielder but followed that up with goalless draws against Como and then Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League.

After Milan’s draw at Parma the previous day, Napoli knew it could move clear at the top of Serie A with a win on Sunday.

And its chances appeared to grow when Bologna goalkeeper Łukasz Skorupski had to go off in the eighth minute with a muscle injury and the 17-year-old Massimo Pessina was handed his senior debut.

However, Napoli never really tested the ‘keeper and Bologna broke the deadlock five minutes into the second half despite losing another player — Jonathan Rowe — to injury.

His replacement, Nicolò Cambiaghi, set up the opener as he got down the left and then rolled the ball across for Thijs Dallinga to slot in at the near post.

Bologna doubled its lead in the 66th minute with Colombia defender Jhon Lucumí heading in a cross for his first Serie A goal.

Roma moves top

Roma defender Zeki Çelik scored his first Serie A goal to seal the win that sent Roma top of the standings.

Celik finished off a well-worked move in the 61st minute after a one-two with Gianluca Mancini to double Roma’s lead in the 61st minute.

The Turkey international had only scored once, in the Europa League, in his three previous seasons at Roma.

Lorenzo Pellegrini had fired Roma in front from the spot, shortly before halftime after Udinese defender Hassane Kamara had been penalized for handball.

New management

New Genoa coach Daniele De Rossi and his Fiorentina counterpart Paolo Vanoli debuted with an entertaining 2-2 draw, that also saw a penalty save by David De Gea.

Fiorentina remained bottom of the table, two points below Genoa and three from safety.

Atalanta was pushed further into crisis with a 3-0 defeat at home to Sassuolo.

It was a seventh league match without a win for Atalanta, which beat Marseille in the Champions League midweek.

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Daniella Matar, The Associated Press

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