Napoli edged past Cagliari with a hard-fought 1-0 victory away from home in Serie A, strengthening their grip on second place and reigniting the pressure in the title race.

The decisive moment came almost immediately, as Scott McTominay struck inside the opening two minutes. Following a well-delivered corner, the Scottish midfielder reacted quickest in a crowded penalty area, bundling the ball over the line from close range to give Napoli an early advantage.

The first half unfolded as a tense and physical contest, with Cagliari looking to respond through swift counter-attacks. Their best opportunity fell to Sebastiano Esposito, who failed to convert from a promising position, letting Napoli off the hook.

After the break, Kevin De Bruyne came close to doubling the visitors’ lead, only to be denied by a sharp save from the Cagliari goalkeeper. Despite controlling possession and showcasing their trademark fluid passing in the closing stages, Napoli were unable to add a second goal.

2025-26, Italy - Serie A

Cagliari - Napoli 0:1 (0:1)
Goals: McTominay, 2 (0:1)

Cagliari: Caprile; Palestra; Rodríguez J.; Dossena A.; Mina; Pedro Ze; Sulemana I.; Adopo (Deiola, 73); Gaetano G.; Folorunsho (Kılıçsoy, 65); Esposito Se. (Trepy, 84)
Substitution: Kılıçsoy (from 65); Deiola (from 73); Trepy (from 84)
Bench: Sherri; Ciocci; Zappa; Mazzitelli; Liteta; Pavoletti
Yellow Cards: Pedro Ze 36; Dossena A. 90

Napoli: Milinkovic-Savic V.; Gutiérrez M.; Buongiorno; Olivera M. (Juan Jesus, 84); Beukema; Gilmour B. (Zambo Anguissa André-Frank, 77); McTominay; De Bruyne; Politano (Spinazzola, 77); Lobotka (Santos A., 55); Höjlund R.
Substitution: Santos A. (from 55); Spinazzola (from 77); Zambo Anguissa André-Frank (from 77); Juan Jesus (from 84)
Bench: Meret; Contini N.; Mazzocchi; Elmas; Lukaku R.; Giovane
Yellow Cards: Lobotka 17; Olivera M. 69