Napoli vs Carrarese

The penalty won by Vergara and converted by Giovane just before half-time effectively settled the contest. Carrarese had weathered the early storm and were only one goal down, but the 2-0 lead at the interval gave Napoli complete control and allowed Allegri to rotate his squad in the second half.

• Rasmus Hojlund — The Danish striker converted his first pre-season chance in the 23rd minute, showing sharp instincts after his loan from Manchester United was made permanent earlier this summer. His movement off the shoulder of the last defender caused problems throughout.
• Antonio Vergara — Involved in both goals: his deflected shot created the opener, and he won the penalty that made it 2-0 before exiting with an injury late on.
• Giovane — The Brazilian forward showed composure from the penalty spot to score his first goal of pre-season, sending the keeper the wrong way.

Player of the match: Antonio Vergara — his direct running was the catalyst for both first-half goals.

Napoli's 2-0 scoreline reflected a dominant first half rather than total control across 90 minutes. The two goals came from a combined 0.5 xG or less (a close-range finish and a penalty), suggesting Napoli created clear-cut chances rather than speculative efforts. Both sides hitting the woodwork indicates the game was more open in the second half as legs tired and substitutions disrupted rhythm. The clean sheet will be the most welcome stat for Allegri, whose side conceded three against Arezzo four days earlier.

This was Napoli's first win under Allegri after a 3-1 defeat to Arezzo on 23 July. The Serie A side have three more pre-season friendlies scheduled before the start of the 2026-27 campaign. Carrarese, preparing for the Serie B season, gained useful minutes against top-flight opposition. Napoli's next friendly is TBC, while Carrarese continue their own pre-season programme.

For the betting angle: Napoli's improvement between the first and second friendlies — from 3-1 loss to 2-0 win with a clean sheet — suggests defensive organisation is improving under Allegri's system. Hojlund scoring in back-to-back appearances (he also scored against Arezzo according to beIN SPORTS) indicates he is finding form ahead of the season.

A professional, low-intensity pre-season win for Napoli that achieved exactly what Allegri wanted: minutes in the legs, a clean sheet, and goals for two forwards. The injury to Vergara is a concern, but the structural improvement from the Arezzo defeat was clear. Carrarese were organised but never threatened to take anything from the game.