Osimhen Score as Azzurri Cruise to Victory
Nigerian forward Victor Osimhen scored to help Napoli end their run of three Serie A Head-2-Heads against Sassuolo without victory, running out 6-1 victors to indicate they haven’t given up on winning their first Scudetto since 1990.
THECONSCIENCENG reports that a blistering start with the backdrop of Stadio Diego Armando Maradona’s vocal crowd saw Victor Osimhen come close in the second minute. The striker pounced on Vlad Chiricheș’ loose backpass to round Andrea Consigli but he hit the post from a tight angle. It was a less likely source that ensured ‘Gli Azzurri’ secured their early lead, as Kalidou Koulibaly marked his return from suspension by heading Lorenzo Insigne’s corner delivery out of Consigli’s reach for his first SA goal since September.
The hosts were enjoying complete domination and Osimhen scored on the quarter-hour mark. Again, the goal came from an Insigne corner, but this time the header cannoned off the crossbar, onto the ground and over the line. Just four minutes later, Dries Mertens dispossessed Maxime Lopez and released Osimhen, who played an inch-perfect pass for Hirving Lozano to slot home. Napoli were relentless and by the 21st minute, Mertens had got a yard from Davide Frattesi and fired home his tenth SA goal of the season. In a sign of the misery felt by ‘I Neroverdi’, Filip Đuričić was brought off in the 25th minute after making his first start since October.
The visitors finally proved they could pose some sort of competition as the half progressed, though Lozano had the best chance before the break, firing straight at Consigli. Two more Sassuolo substitutions were made at HT, but that didn’t stop Mertens scoring nine minutes after the restart. The Belgian played a one-two with Fabián Ruiz before providing a finish that left Gian Marco Ferrari’s attempt to head it away futile. Osimhen thought he had sprung the offside trap when he coolly finished before being denied by the lineman’s flag. Amir Rrahmani rounded off the scoring in the 80th minute, controlling Giovanni Di Lorenzo’s mishit shot and slotting past Consigli.
Lopez got a late consolation for ‘I Neroverdi’ after the ball had pinballed around the box. This won’t have dampened Napoli’s mood too much, as ‘Gli Azzurri’ ended a run of three SA matches without victory to keep their fading hopes of winning the title alive, while all but securing UEFA Champions League football for next season. Meanwhile, Sassuolo are stumbling towards the finish line having lost four of their last five with little to play for at this stage.
