Osimhen has a ‘brilliant night’ as rampant Napoli crush Juventus
Napoli’s dreams of a first Serie A title since the days of Diego Maradona are more alive than ever after thrashing Juventus 5-1 on Friday and moving 10 points clear at the summit.
Luciano Spalletti’s free-flowing team once again thrilled with a statement performance against their old rivals to stamp their authority on a title race which is increasingly looking like a oneteam affair.
Victor Osimhen took his league tally for the season to 12 with a goal in each half while Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Amir Rrahmani and Eljif Elmas netted the hosts’ other goals to extend their advantage on both Juve and AC Milan.
Angel Di Maria scored Juventus’ only goal just before half-time.
Champions Milan would cut the gap back to seven points if they won at Lecce last night (Thai time) but the way Napoli dealt with Juve was the latest signal that southern Italy’s biggest club are the real deal and ready to end a 33-year wait for a league crown.
Kvaratskhelia and Osimhen were devastating in attack, with the pair setting up each other’s goals and causing havoc more or less from the first whistle against a team who before Friday had only conceded seven league goals in 17 matches.
“It was a brilliant night,” said Osimhen to DAZN.
“I’m happy for the team and I’m happy as well to contribute to it with two goals and an assist. We want to keep this momentum.
“The road is still long, we just want to continue to win our games... at the end of the season I think we have a good chance.”
Juve had come into the match at a packed Stadio Maradona on a run of eight straight wins in which they hadn’t conceded, making them title contenders despite a dismal start to the season.
Instead Massimiliano Allegri’s team left Naples with their tails between their legs after conceding five goals in a Serie A match for the first time since May 1993.
“When you make errors like we did against a team like Napoli, you are going to be punished. They are the league leaders and deserve to be where they are,” said Allegri.