Napoli defeated Juventus 6-5 in a penalty shootout to claim their second Italian Super Cup following a 2-2 draw Monday evening at the Khalifa International Stadium in Doha, Qatar.

Goalkeeper Rafael Cabral made the decisive save in the ninth round of penalties, denying Simone Padoin to give the Partenopei their first Supercoppa triumph since 1990.

Twice Juventus led through Carlos Tevez, who scored in the fifth and 106th minute. But twice Napoli equalised through Gonzalo Higuain, first in the 68th minute and again two minutes from the end of extra time to send the match to penalties.

Juventus qualified for the Super Cup as Serie A winners last season, the Bianconeri claiming their third straight Scudetto. Napoli qualified as Coppa Italia champions. The match was originally scheduled for August but was moved back due to Napoli’s participation in the UEFA Champions League play-offs.

Both teams will now head into Italy’s brief winter break, with neither playing again until early January.

Juventus will resume their pursuit of a fourth straight Serie A title on Jan. 6 with a home match against Inter Milan. The Bianconeri finished 2014 with a three-point lead atop the table.

Napoli, who ended the year level with two other teams for third place, will resume their bid for a Champions League place with a match at Cesena on Jan. 6. At the end of the season, the top two teams in Serie A qualify automatically for the Champions League, with the third-placed team entering the play-offs.

Juventus needed little time to open the scoring, taking the lead following a defensive miscue by Napoli in the fifth minute. David Lopez put his side under pressure with a wayward backwards header in Napoli’s half, and centre-backs Raul Albiol and Kalidou Koulibaly collided while trying to clear the danger.

The ball trickled to Tevez, who had a free run on goal behind the defence. After dribbling into the box, Tevez finished through Cabral’s legs for the opening goal.

Napoli responded well, Jose Callejon shooting over the bar from a tight angle in the sixth minute. Ten minutes later, Marek Hamsik had a low shot deflected on to the base of the near upright.

Tevez volleyed straight at Cabral in the 22nd minute following a Fernando Llorente knockdown. A minute later, the Argentine shot low again from distance, but Cabral saved comfortably.

At the other end, Hamsik rifled an effort just wide after wriggling free along the edge of Juve’s box in the 25th minute. Ten minutes later, Higuain curled another shot over the bar.

Juventus’ Stephan Lichtsteiner and Arturo Vidal created a chance in the 38th minute, working a one-two down the right flank before Lichtsteiner shot at Cabral from a tight angle.

Napoli’s best chance came in the 42nd minute as Higuain curled a powerful shot on target from the left flank. The ball appeared set for the corner, but Juve goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon dived to his left to save.

Still trailing by a goal at half-time, Napoli missed a big chance to equalise in the 54th minute. Hamsik sliced open Juve’s defence with an angled ball to Callejon on the right. With time to pick his spot, Callejon rolled his shot wide of the far post.

Napoli were well on top, and in the 60th minute, Higuain flicked a looping shot over Buffon and on to the opposite upright from a tight angle on the left. 

An equaliser felt inevitable, and in the 68th minute it finally arrived. Jonathan de Guzman created the chance with a strong dribble down Napoli’s left flank, blowing past his marker before crossing into the middle. Unmarked in front of goal, Higuain nodded in from six yards to make it 1-1.

Juventus had been clearly second best in the second half, but the Bianconeri had a clear chance to retake the lead in the 73rd minute. With his back to goal inside the box, Llorente chested down a Paul Pogba cross for Tevez. But Tevez’s scuffed shot bounced straight to Cabral, who held comfortably.

Chances became scarce as full-time approached. Juventus created a bit of danger with a quick break in the 86th minute, but the move ended fruitlessly after Vidal dragged a low shot well off target. In the 90th minute, Tevez poked wide from 12 yards following good build-up play by Juve.

In extra time, Tevez blazed over in the 91st minute with Juve’s first shot. Roberto Pereyra curled a fine shot on target five minutes later, but Cabral stretched to save.

Llorente had the next chance, turning and shooting off target in the 98th minute. Juventus came close again in the 101st minute, when Koulibaly cleared Vidal’s low shot off the line.

The Bianconeri had been the better side throughout the first half of extra time, and moments after the restart, they were rewarded with the go-ahead goal.

 Pogba slalomed through two defenders along the edge of the box and laid off for Tevez, who allowed the ball to roll past him in order to set up his right foot. After spinning 180 degrees, Tevez deposited an unstoppable shot into the bottom corner at the far post. 

Juve still had work to do, though. In the 111th minute, Buffon was called into action to save one-on-one against Higuain. Two minutes later, the goalkeeper had to come off his line alertly to clear danger following a mix-up at the back.

Napoli were almost finished, but with two minutes left, the Partenopei pulled level. Walter Gargano played a speculative cross into the box from the right and Higuain pulled the ball down between defenders before shooting past Buffon for a last-gasp equaliser.

In the penalty shootout, Buffon made three saves to give Juve a good chance. But the Bianconeri were wasteful, missing the target twice while Cabral produced two saves to give his side the win.

 

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