Napoli beat Bologna 2-0 to win Italian Super Cup
Napoli lifted the Italian Super Cup on Monday night, defeating Bologna 2–0 in the final thanks to a brilliant brace from Brazilian winger David Neres at the King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah.
The reigning Serie A champions dominated the contest from start to finish, with Neres providing the cutting edge to seal Napoli’s third Super Cup triumph and their first since 2014.
Napoli set the tone early
Napoli began with authority, pressing Bologna high up the pitch and forcing early mistakes. Eljif Elmas had the first clear opportunity of the night but dragged his effort wide from close range.
As the pressure mounted, Bologna goalkeeper Federico Ravaglia was called into action, parrying a fierce Scott McTominay cross-shot and later getting a crucial touch on Leonardo Spinazzola’s chipped attempt, with Lewis Ferguson clearing off the line.
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Despite Bologna’s resistance, Napoli’s breakthrough felt inevitable.
Neres breaks the deadlock
The opener arrived six minutes before halftime and was worth the wait. Collecting a throw-in on the left flank, Neres drifted inside unchallenged, took aim from distance, and curled a sensational right-footed strike into the top corner beyond Ravaglia’s reach.
It was a moment of quality that reflected Napoli’s control and Bologna’s inability to close down space.
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Napoli continued to dictate proceedings after the break. Ravaglia again kept Bologna in the contest, denying Rasmus Højlund and tipping over Amir Rrahmani’s header from a corner.
However, the goalkeeper’s resistance was undone in the 57th minute. Attempting to play out from the back, Ravaglia played a weak pass toward Jhon Lucumí. Neres reacted instantly, intercepting the ball before delicately chipping the onrushing keeper from a tight angle to make it 2–0.
The goal effectively sealed the contest and took Neres’ tally to three goals in the tournament, following his strike in Napoli’s semi-final win over AC Milan.
Bologna fall short
Bologna, Coppa Italia winners last season, struggled to create meaningful chances throughout the final. Despite their dramatic penalty shootout victory over Inter Milan in the semi-finals, they failed to trouble Napoli’s defence and looked short of ideas in attack.
Napoli, by contrast, could have extended their lead but were content to see out the match comfortably as celebrations began well before the final whistle.
Conte and Napoli celebrate silverware
Napoli head coach Antonio Conte watched on as his side delivered a composed and disciplined performance, reinforcing their status as Italy’s top side.
“We came here as champions and we wanted this trophy,” said forward Matteo Politano after the match. “We showed it with a great performance. Conte is our leader and we follow him completely.”
The victory marks Napoli’s third Italian Super Cup title, adding another trophy to their growing recent success.
Future of the Super Cup Format in Question
This final was the third edition of the Italian Super Cup under the four-team format, introduced in 2023 and hosted in Saudi Arabia under a contract running until 2029.
However, Serie A president Ezio Simonelli suggested before kickoff that the competition could return to its traditional one-match format in future editions.
For now, Napoli leave Jeddah with silverware in hand, while Bologna are left to regroup after falling short in their first Super Cup final appearance.
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