Victor Osimhen netted his 17th Serie A goal this season as league leaders Napoli overpowered Sassuolo in style with a 2-0 win on Friday night.
The Partenopei had won their last six consecutive Serie A matches heading into their away trip to Emilia-Romagna, giving them a 15-point lead over second place Inter. Luciano Spalletti’s side look on track to win their first Scudetto since the days of Diego Maradona, and their work against the Neroverdi took them one step closer to this elusive goal.
Napoli were immediately on the front foot at the Mapei Stadium, subjecting Sassuolo to wave after wave of pressure. It only seemed like a matter of time before they took the lead, and who better exemplifies their electric season than star winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.
The Georgian winger cleverly stole the ball in the midfield before deftly darting through the Sassuolo defence, leaving Andrea Consigli helpless as he intelligently delayed his shot before slotting it into the far corner, putting Napoli 1-0 up after 12 minutes.
Napoli settled into the match a little after taking the lead early, but it didn’t take long for them to find the back of the net again, this time thanks to Osimhen.
The Nigerian striker showed off his power, control and skill as he muscled off his mark and impressively thundered the ball from a tight angle into the back of the net.
Sassuolo refused to lie down and accept defeat, however, and thought they’d clawed one back in the final minutes of the half. A clever pass from Davide Frattesi was latched onto by Armand Laurienté, who beat Alex Meret with a leaping strike.
Unfortunately for the home side, the goal was ruled out for offside after an on-pitch VAR check, with the referee concluding that Grégoire Defrel’s trip on Mathias Olivera counted as an interference in play. The 31-year-old Frenchman was standing in an offside position when the contact occurred with the Napoli defender.
Napoli picked up from where they left off as the second half kicked off, immediately dictating the pace of play and leaving Sassuolo on the back foot. Their early efforts in the second 45 minutes failed to yield a goal, however.
Sassuolo continued to show character as the second half progressed but their wastefulness in the final third continued to cost them, a sign of where the team have struggled this season as they hover dangerously close to the relegation zone.
In the dying minutes of the match, Giovanni Simeone thought he’d found his way onto the score sheet with a leaping header, but it was chalked off for offside.
Napoli played a controlled and mature second half at the Mapei Stadium and calmy saw out their 2-0 win, picking up yet another three points in their charge for their first Scudetto in three decades.
Spalletti’s side will feel the wind in their sails as they prepare for their away clash with Eintracht Frankfurt in the first leg of their Champions League Round of 16 tie.
