🇮🇹 Osimhen and Kvaratskhelia put Napoli 16 clear at the 🔝 | OneFootball

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Padraig Whelan·5 February 2023

🇮🇹 Osimhen and Kvaratskhelia put Napoli 16 clear at the 🔝

Article image:🇮🇹 Osimhen and Kvaratskhelia put Napoli 16 clear at the 🔝

Napoli’s relentless charge towards the Scudetto continued in Liguria on Sunday afternoon as they ruthlessly exploited a series of Spezia errors to cruise to victory.

Scorers: Kvaratskhelia (PEN) 47′, Osimhen 68′, 72′


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With the ban on travelling fans from Campania still in effect following events last month, their side were blunt in the opening half in their absence, an early Giovanni Di Lorenzo attempt being as close as they came.

But with a fiery team talk from Luciano Spalletti still doubtless ringing in their ears as they emerged from the dressing room, it took them just nine seconds to find an avenue to the lead when a handball in the area led to a penalty which was converted by Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.

That goal saw the Georgian sensation become just the fifth player in Europe’s top five leagues to reach double figures for goals and assists this season, although he is the youngest to do so and the only player in Serie A to achieve the feat.

With just over 20 minutes remaining, Napoli made sure of the points with a quickfire two-goal salvo from Victor Osimhen to take his tally for the campaign to 16, becoming just the fourth Napoli player to reach that amount after 21 games, following on from Luis Vinício, Edinson Cavani and Gonzalo Higuaín.

The Nigerian netted his first by showing his striker’s instincts and incredible athleticism, spotting the danger after a miscued clearance sent the ball sky high in the Spezia box and he outjumped the goalkeeper to head home before tapping into an empty net after Kvaratskhelia unselfishly teed him up following another defensive error.

The win sees Napoli open up a 16-point gap over second-placed Inter, who host Milan late tonight in the Derby della Madonnina.