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NAPOLI 1 - 2 JUVENTUS
Saturday 30 Sep 2000, kick-off 8:30PM CET
It seemed symbolic that a giant version of Maradona's famed number 10 shirt was unfurled on the terraces of Napoli's San Paolo stadium prior to kick-off. With last season's best defence meeting a manager renowned for no-holds-barred attack, this was going to be a superb match. Worthy, indeed, of the great man himself, and just the thing to spur the Bianconeri to recapture the spark that has eluded them over the last fortnight.
It didn't take very long, however, for those expectations to undergo some revision. A dull affair for the first half-an-hour, barely a handful of chances were shared by both sides. Tellingly, the biggest reaction from the crowd came after a couple of goalkeeping scares. Ferdinando Coppola was called into an aerial clearance as an on-rushing Filippo Inzaghi threatened. Then, at the other end, a cross-cum-shot from Jose Luis Vidigal demanded a first-class save from Edwin Van der Sar.
But it wasn't until the 38th minute that Juventus really came close to scoring, when Jonathan Bachini nodded on a Zinedine Zidane free-kick which was denied by the post and, at any rate, the referee, who had spotted an irregularity.
Any hopes of taking a late first-half lead, however, were dashed just two minutes later when a breaking run by Abdellar Saber down the right flank ended in a pinpoint cross for striker Roberto Stellone. From close range he shot home past Van der Sar... and the Napoli faithful showed their gratitude at full volume.
After the interval, it was Stellone again who looked like making the headlines when his powerful long-range effort whistled past the post.
Lesser squads might have started to flag at this point, but the Bianconeri pushed on. But despite their obvious will, neither Inzaghi nor Del Piero could manage to convert their determination into anything concrete.
Then, the turning point. On 65 minutes Ancelotti took off Antonio Conte and Marco Zanchi, bringing on Darko Kovacevic and Alessandro Birindelli in their respective places. Kovacevic won't thank anyone for calling him 'Super Sub', but his performance in the San Paolo will only have served to justify that reputation. It took the Yugoslav striker just three minutes to level the match, when he connected with a cross from Gianluca Pessotto.
But if the shadow of Maradona had failed to exert any influence up to this point, the force was clearly with us just six minutes later when a solo effort from Del Piero won the match - and stated a case for the fans' favourite's return to form. That giant number 10 shirt doing the rounds in the crowd might have been symbolic after all.
Napoli 2
Stellone 40
Juventus 2
Kovacevic 68, Del Piero 74Booked Baldini 15, Zanchi 28, Fresi 49, Brighi 87
Napoli (4-3-3) Coppola; Saber, Baldini, Fresi, Baccin (75' Troise); Vidigal, Matuzalem, Tedesco (Magoni 59); Bellucci, Stellone, Sesa (Di Vicino 75) Subs Mondini, Troise, Di Vicino, Magoni, Jankulovski, Pecchia, Amoruso.
Juventus (3-4-1-2) Van der Sar; Zanchi (Birindelli 65), Ferrara, Tudor; Bachini, Conte (Kovacevic 65), Tacchinardi, Pessotto; Zidane; Inzaghi (Brighi 78), Del Piero Subs Rampulla, Birindelli, Brighi, Maresca, Trezeguet, Kovacevic, Fonseca
Referee Collina