In yet another thriller from the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium on Sunday night, Napoli took a huge step towards victory in Serie A this season with a 2-1 win over Roma.
After watching Milan and Juventus suffer their staggering losses earlier in the day, the Azzurri now find they have a remarkable 13-point buffer over their pursuers.
Opening the scoring just 17 minutes later, when offensive talisman Victor Osimhen fired a deafening volley, Napoli looked like they were preparing for another Serie A challenge.
However, stunned by Stefan El Shaarawy’s equalizer with just 15 minutes to go, Luciano Spalletti’s team still had time to show off their trademark determination.
In the dying moments when Giovanni Simeone scored a goal that could have given Napoli the Scudetto crown, the Blues also gave Roma their first defeat since the World Cup.
It seems that this victory for Napoli could be decisive in the season. We’ve covered the main themes of Sunday’s heavyweight bout.
Napoli can’t be stopped.
Making their way to the knockout stages of this year’s Champions League and now a true European dark horse in 2023, Napoli are riding an amazing wave of momentum.
Sunday’s 2-1 victory moved them 13 points ahead in the Serie A standings, with Spalletti’s record-setting team moving closer to Scudetto history.
Only further cementing their position as Europe’s biggest surprise this season, the Azzurri have notably lost just one of their 20 top flight matches on either side of the World Cup holiday break.
Already firmly holding onto their first home crown since 1990 with one hand, Napoli show no sign of taking their foot off the accelerator.
It would seem that records are broken every week, and some at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium dream of what will become the famous domestic and European double, the Blues simply overcome any obstacles in their path with ease.
Roma’s squall is coming to an end
While there could have been some serious speculation last week that Jose Mourinho could return to the Premier League, Roma enjoyed an attractive comeback after the World Cup break.
While Sunday’s guests may have been disappointed after leaving Diego Armando Maradona’s stadium empty-handed, the Giallorossi should pick up a lot of positives.
Continuing their adventure in the Coppa Italia on 12 January, when they scored a decisive 1-0 home win over Genoa, the former Chelsea boss saw his team lose only one of their previous eight home matches across all formats.
Having made real history last season when they became the first ever Conference League winners, Roma are now set on securing a long-awaited return to the top four in 2023.
In addition, by watching Milan and Juventus suffer their own public blunders, Mourinho’s side were only one point behind a return to the Champions League at the end of the game weekend.
Osimhen – male
Opening the scoring just 17 minutes later on Sunday night, Osimhen certainly only continues to underline his status as one of the brightest stars in world football.
While the 24-year-old may have struggled with some lingering issues since arriving in Italy two and a half years ago, the former Lille ace finds his shares on a red-hot high and has received a string of applause from around the world. Europe.
With yet another stellar performance here, Osimhen has scored 14 goals in Serie A in 16 top-flight games and is confidently chasing the Golden Boot this season.
Closely associated with Premier League giants like Manchester United in recent months, the Nigerian player also went on a stellar hitting streak after returning from the World Cup winter break.
Along with the brace when Napoli claimed their famous 5-1 win against Juventus on 13 January, Osimhen has now scored four goals in as many games in Serie A.
Match report
Naples: Meret, Di Lorenzo, Rahmani, Kim, Rui, Angissa, Lobotka, Zelinsky, Lozano, Osimkhen, Kvaratskhelia
Subscriptions: Elmas, Olivera, Simeone, Raspadori, Ndombele
Roma: Patricio, Mancini, Smalling, Ibanez, Spinazzola, Matic, Cristante, Zalewski, Dybala, Pellegrini, Abraham
Subscriptions: El Shaarawy, Tahirovic, Bove, Volpato, Belotti
Goals: Napoli: Osimhen (17′), Simeone (86′) – Roma: El Shaaraway (75′)
Yellow cards: Napoli: Osimhen – Roma: El Shaaraway, Dybala
Red cards: N/A
Judge: Daniele Orsato