Napoli lift Supercoppa Italiana after victory over Bologna in Riyadh

Napoli lifted the Supercoppa Italiana after running out 2-0 winners over Bologna in Riyadh on Monday.

David Neres scored a brace for the reigning Serie A champions at Al-Awwal Park, home of Cristiano Ronadlo’s club side Al-Nassr, as Antonio Conte’s men won their second trophy of the calendar year.

Neres found the net in both halves against the Coppa Italia holders as Napoli emerged victorious despite the absence of Kevin De Bruyne, Andre Frank Zambo Anguissa, Billy Gilmour and Alex Meret.

Gli Azzurri, currently third in Italy’s top-flight, had a great chance to open the scoring on 37 minutes when Neres found Leonardo Spinazzola through the middle but Federico Ravaglia in the Bologna goal got a fingertip to the dinked finish, slowing the ball down enough for Lewis Ferguson to clear off the line.

It mattered little. Moments later, the deadlock was broken in style, Neres shimmying away from a defender before bending a sublime finish into the top corner.

Ferguson then had a chance after the break but the Brighton loanee got the timing of his jump all wrong and his header nestled into the grateful arms of Vanja Milinkovic-Savic.

Napoli and Neres doubled their tally moments later, dinking a delicate finish over the keeper from a tight angle after pouncing on the weak pass out from Ravaglia.

Conte’s team should have added sheen to the scoreline late on when Miguel Gutierrez flashed a ball across from the left, but both Rasmus Hojlund and Matteo Politano failed to connect.

Minutes later, the final whistle sounded and Napoli claimed another piece of silverware.