Juventus 2-1 Napoli: 5 talking points as Bianconeri boost top-4 hopes with hard-fought win | Serie A 2020-21

#3 Paulo Dybala scores off the bench for Juventus

Paolo Dybala scored off the bench.

Paulo Dybala came off the Juventus bench to score only his third league goal of the season. But it's been an unusual campaign for the Bianconeri's mercurial Argentine.

Dybala is no longer a regular starter and has had his future at the club questioned far too many times.

Against Napoli, though, the Argentine came off the bench and scored a lovely goal, only his fourth of the season in all competitions, to cut himself some slack.

PAULO DYBALA IS BACK!Perfect placement and bend🔥 pic.twitter.com/q19prol6uO

— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) April 7, 2021

However, would that be enough for him to stay at Juventus beyond this summer?

Like he has shown with his three other strikes this campaign, Dybala has got the quality, and at just 27, he is only hitting his peak.

If he were to recapture his mojo and breathe new life into his career, he could flourish elsewhere if the Bianconeri decide to part ways with Dybala.

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#4 Victor Osimhen is the real deal

Victor Osimhen has got the talent to succeed at Napoli!

When the Partenopei signed Victor Osimhen for €50 million from Lille last year, they knew what they were getting.

The young Nigerian gun is a bag of talent. Even though he's yet to truly shine for them, Osimhen showed flashes of his brilliance against Juventus.

He showed urgency in attack and harried the Juventus defence after replacing Dries Mertens in the 76th minute. His terrier-like pressing caused the Bianconeri to wobble a few times, while his hulking frame allowed him to dominate on the ball too.

With a little more ruthlessness in his game, the 23-year old can prosper at Napoli.

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#5 Andrea Pirlo lives to fight another day

Andrea Pirlo has been walking on a tight rope.

The embattled Juventus manager, Andrea Pirlo, can heave a sigh of relief, for now.

Juventus eked out an important point, not just from the perspective of consolidating their Champions League hopes but also in terms of rescuing their manager's job.

The former Juventus player has been walking a tight rope following a series of disappointing results. There were even talks of a sack if the Bianconeri failed to win against Napoli.

So, suffice to say, Pirlo has borrowed himself some time. However, there's no time to rest. He ought to go back to the drawing board once again, as Juventus were far from perfect on the night. Only two quality individual moments and last-ditch defending from Matthijs de Ligt earned them the three points.

FT: Juventus 2-1 NapoliBiggest win of Andrea Pirlo’s coaching career. He survives, as Juve return to the top 3. Plenty of work still to do to clinch #UCL next season, but an important step in the right direction. Where would they be without Chiesa & Ronaldo! pic.twitter.com/l2cNVDruVu

— Adriano Del Monte (@adriandelmonte) April 7, 2021

Earlier, league leaders Inter Milan beat Sassuolo by an identical margin to maintain their 12-point lead over reigning champions Juventus.

Hopes of a tenth-consecutive Scudetto for Juventus have long since vanished into thin air. Pirlo needs to ensure Champions League football for Juventus next season to hope to remain at the helm.