SOCCER: Neres double as Napoli outclass Bologna to win Italian Super Cup

RIYADH – Napoli lifted the Italian Super Cup after a convincing 2-0 victory over Bologna in Riyadh on Monday, with David Neres scoring both goals to secure a deserved win for the Serie A champions against the Coppa Italia holders.

Neres opened the scoring with a stunning long-range strike six minutes before halftime and doubled Napoli’s lead in the 57th minute after Bologna were caught trying to play out from the back.

“We came here as champions of Italy, we wanted this trophy, and we showed it with a great performance,” Napoli forward Matteo Politano told Mediaset. “We could have scored a few more goals, but we are happy with the victory.”

Napoli, who defeated holders AC Milan 2-0 in Thursday’s semifinal, claimed their third Italian Super Cup title and their first since 2014. Bologna, meanwhile, failed in their first attempt to win the trophy after edging Inter Milan 3-2 on penalties following a 1-1 draw on Friday.

Napoli threatened early when Eljif Elmas dragged a shot wide from close range, while Bologna goalkeeper Federico Ravaglia later denied Scott McTominay with a sharp save as Napoli continued to dominate possession.

Leonardo Spinazzola also went close, forcing Ravaglia into another save before Lewis Ferguson cleared the danger off the line. The breakthrough finally came just before the break.

Neres strikes twice

Neres collected a throw-in and drifted inside as the Bologna defense backed off, giving him space to unleash a curling shot from outside the penalty area that flew into the top corner.

Ravaglia was busy again early in the second half, denying Rasmus Hojlund and tipping Amir Rrahmani’s header over the bar from the resulting corner. However, the keeper’s error soon proved costly.

A weak pass from Ravaglia to Jhon Lucumi was intercepted by Neres, who calmly chipped the advancing goalkeeper from a tight angle to effectively seal the win.

Napoli created several more chances, but Bologna never looked capable of mounting a comeback. Head coach Antonio Conte and his substitutes were already preparing to celebrate well before the final whistle.

“Conte is our leader, and we follow him completely,” Politano added. “Now we celebrate, and then we will focus on the championship.”

The match marked the third edition of the Italian Super Cup under its expanded four-team format, though Serie A president Ezio Simonelli suggested it may be the last.

“Maybe next year we will return to the original spirit of the Italian Super Cup with a one-off match,” Simonelli told Mediaset before kickoff.

-Reporting by Trevor Stynes; Editing by Ed Osmond/Reuters