A huge win for Weston McKennie and Juventus! USMNT star puts in strong shift in crucial win over Napoli as Serie A title race heats up

The first half was as back and forth as can be, with both sides squandering several chances to seize the advantage. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia had the best opportunity, with the Napoli hero missing what should have been an easy chip, while Dusan Vlahovic was unable to take advantage of some Federico Chiesa magic on the other end. McKennie, too, had one good chance, but his bicycle kick went just over the bar.

Juventus went into the second half feeling the better of the two sides, despite Napoli's chances in the first half, and the hosts didn't wait long to seize the advantage themselves. The goal came from Federico Gatti, who has made a habit of scoring big goals for the Old Lady. The defender headed home a picture-perfect cross from Esteban Cambiaso in the 51st minute, allowing Juve to play their game as the final 45 continued on.

Napoli thought they had leveled the match late, but Victor Osimhen was called for offside seconds after seemingly equalizing.

With the win, Juventus temporarily go top of Serie A, having earned 36 points through their first 15 games. They earned those points through what has been a typical Juve performance so far, with the team proving tough to beat defensively with just nine goals allowed in those 15 matches.

Inter could leapfrog Juve back into first with a win or draw against Udinese on Saturday, but Juve will end the weekend in, at worst, second. They have a seven-point lead on Milan and a 12-point lead on fourth-place Roma ahead of their matches this weekend. With the defeat, Napoli, meanwhile, sit fifth, level with Roma on 24 points, as last season's champions have struggled to recapture the magic in this current campaign.

McKennie continues to be one of Massimiliano Allegri's go-to starters in midfield, and he didn't do anything to hurt his case in this one. On the attacking end, he got the hockey assist on Juve's lone goal and nearly scored one of his own. His effort and energy, though, were key to keeping Napoli quiet as he helped wrangle Kvaratskhelia for most of the match.

When Juve sat back to protect their lead, McKennie was more than comfortable as he helped the team seal three key points.

Timothy Weah, meanwhile, remains out with injury, although he's expected to be back soon. Cambiaso shined in Weah's usual position, wingback, but Filip Kostic struggled a bit on the other side. With Cambiaso also able to play on the right, Weah's spot isn't totally gone as there could be room to slot right back into the team once he returns.

Weston McKennie (7/10):

Overall, Juve could have used a bit more control in midfield, but you can't fault McKennie's effort on both sides of the ball. Got forward and got into dangerous areas as evidenced by his oh-so-close bicycle kick. Defensively, won most of his duels as Juve kept a dangerous Napoli team scoreless.

Juve will now look ahead to a clash against Genoa, who enter this weekend sitting 14th in Serie A. After that, they'll pay a visit to Frosinone before hosting Jose Mourinho's Roma on December 30 in their final match of the 2023 calendar year.