Former Napoli forward Giovanni Simeone scored the only goal of the match, netting against his old club in a contest marked by missed chances, injuries, and late controversy.
Despite the loss, defending champions Napoli remain joint leaders of Serie A alongside Roma and Inter Milan, after Roma also fell 1–0 at home to Inter.
Lang appeared to have rescued a crucial point for Napoli in the third minute of stoppage time, pouncing on a rebound after Matteo Politano’s shot struck the post. His shirtless celebration in front of the visiting fans sparked wild scenes among Napoli players and coach Antonio Conte, who celebrated on the touchline.
Moments later, however, the joy evaporated. A VAR review ruled that Lang was marginally offside before scoring, and the only thing that stood was his yellow card for removing his shirt.
The result handed Napoli their second defeat of the season, while Torino celebrated just their second league win—the first coming against Roma.
Simeone’s Emotional Moment
The decisive goal arrived in the second half when a fortuitous deflection off a Napoli defender sent the ball into Simeone’s path. The Argentine timed his run perfectly, slipped past the offside trap, rounded goalkeeper Vanja Milinković-Savić, and calmly slotted into an empty net.
Simeone, who spent three seasons at Napoli and helped them clinch the 2023 Serie A title, showed little joy after scoring, raising his hands in apology and appearing emotional as fans from both sides applauded him. The forward, now on loan at Torino with an obligation to buy, received a standing ovation when he was substituted in the 62nd minute.
Injury Troubles for Napoli
Napoli’s mounting injury list continues to complicate their title defense. Key players Romelu Lukaku, Stanislav Lobotka, Amir Rrahmani, Scott McTominay, and Rasmus Højlund were all sidelined, leaving Conte with limited attacking options.
Torino nearly opened the scoring earlier in the match when Nikola Vlašić’s curling effort struck the inside of the post before bouncing harmlessly across goal.
Elsewhere in Serie A
At the Stadio Olimpico, Inter Milan defeated Roma 1–0 thanks to an early strike from Ange-Yoan Bonny, who continued his impressive run after a standout performance against Cremonese last week. The French forward latched onto Nicolò Barella’s through ball in the sixth minute, finishing calmly past goalkeeper Mile Svilar.
Despite a host of second-half chances and the return of Paulo Dybala, Roma couldn’t find an equalizer as Inter’s goalkeeper Yann Sommer pulled off several fine saves.
In other matches, Pisa and Hellas Verona remain winless after a 0–0 stalemate in an early relegation clash, while Lecce and Sassuolo also shared the points in another goalless draw.