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·25 February 2024

Serie A | Cagliari 1-1 Napoli: Osimhen not enough for Calzona

Victor Osimhen was again on target for Francesco Calzona’s new-look Napoli, but could only earn a point away to Cagliari with Zito Luvumbo’s last-gasp equaliser.

The Partenopei made their debut under new coach Calzona on Wednesday in a Champions League draw with Barcelona, barely two days since Walter Mazzarri was fired. Giovanni Di Lorenzo was suspended, with Cyril Ngonge injured, but Osimhen shook off flu symptoms to start with Giacomo Raspadori. The Sardinians missed Ibrahim Sulemana, Pantelis Hatzidiakos, Eldor Shomurodov and Marco Mancosu are out of action, but Gaetano Oristanio returned to the bench.

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It was a tense start, as after four minutes Osimhen already reacted angrily to Yerry Mina pinching him on the nipple in an off the ball tussle.

Jakub Jankto nodded a Zito Luvumbo cross wide at the back post, with Gianluca Lapadula meeting a similar assist to test Alex Meret, while Mina showed his experience to block Raspadori on a Piotr Zielinski back-heel flick.

Raspadori forced a save from distance out of Simone Scuffet and Cagliari had the ball in the net when Gianluca Gaetano’s free kick was flicked into his own goal by Amir Rrahmani. However, it was disallowed following a VAR review, because Lapadula was offside and interfering with play.

There was a lack of communication in the Napoli defence, so Meret rushed out to clear from Lapadula and crashed into teammate Juan Jesus, landing very awkwardly, but Luvumbo was unable to make the most of it.

After the restart, Lapadula again turned wide from a Luvumbo cross, where Cagliari were running riot down the left, while Osimhen’s header into the ground was straight at Scuffet.

However, moments later Napoli took the lead somewhat against the run of play, as Raspadori robbed Tommaso Augello and floated a ball to the back post for the Osimhen diving header.

Victor Osimhen heads Napoli into the lead against Cagliari 🔥 📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/an5JPw63UJ — Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) February 25, 2024

Napoli threatened again when Osimhen managed to hit the same upright twice in the same move, though the offside flag saved his blushes.

Leonardo Pavoletti limped off just 16 minutes after coming on as a substitute after getting into a tangle with Juan Jesus just outside the penalty area. Alessandro Deiola tested Meret from distance.

Matteo Politano came off the bench and had a huge chance to double their lead, only to roll it inches wide when Giovanni Simeone was screaming for the return pass.

Simeone then did the same to Jesper Lindstrom, stinging Scuffet’s gloves at the near post rather than passing, while Stanislav Lobotka’s curler was just wide.

Those chances proved costly, as Cagliari equalised in the final moments of stoppages. A ball was floated over the top by Alberto Dossena, Juan Jesus let it bounce and Luvumbo tracked it all the way, pouncing to blast into the roof of the net on the half-volley at full stretch.