On Sunday evening, Napoli scored an impressive 1-0 victory over José Mourinho’s Roma.
Just continuing an outstanding start to the 2022/23 campaign, the Azzurri have also extended their buffer at the top of the Serie A table once again to three points.
In the midst of what was a record-breaking purple spot, Sunday’s visitors scored 11 wins on the rebound as attacking talisman Victor Osimhen hit the late winner at the Olympic Stadium.
After receiving a string of applause, as well as enjoying rampant form while on duty in the Champions League, Napoli also showed a continued fickleness in Roma’s attack.
In the confrontation between the two Italian giants, we have considered the main topics for discussion.
Can anyone stop Napoli?
While Napoli could have taken the bronze medal last season, few at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium expected a surprising start to the new campaign.
Luciano Spalletti’s men, who quickly gained a fearsome reputation for scoring goals, find passion in their camp, and now they are set to make real history.
It wasn’t until Sunday night when they took a 1-0 victory outside of Naples that the former Inter Milan boss got another win and saw his side considered the top pick to claim their first Serie A crown since 1990. .
In the midst of an 11-match winning streak in all competitions that started up until 31 August, Napoli also shot through their Champions League play-off ticket with plenty of time to spare.
Having increased their buffer to three points, the Spalletti team is perhaps the most sporty team in Europe.
Mourinho still has a headache from attacks
While Roma may have managed to find some level of stability after the September international break, Mourinho’s side have again shown some pretty egregious problems here.
After dropping out of the top four and watching their three-match unbeaten streak come to an abrupt end, the former Manchester United boss saw his team lack a clinical edge since the start of the 2022/23 campaign.
In just one of their previous five matches across all formats, Roma have landed more than one shot but failed to land a single shot on goal at the Stadio Olimpico.
Fans of the Giallorossi, who are also under scrutiny this season due to their troubles while on duty in the Europa League, will also be concerned about Tammy Abraham’s prolonged drought.
Suspended in the 62nd minute, the England international had failed to score in any of his previous eight matches and indeed failed to reach the level that the ex-Chelsea striker set in his first season in Serie A .
Osimhen emphasizes its value
While Napoli may have developed a fearsome reputation for scoring goals over the past couple of months, they have failed to use one of their standout attacking options.
After scoring 14 goals in Serie A last season and leading Spalletti to win the Champions League, Osimhen has continued to impress since returning from a hamstring injury earlier this month.
Regarded as one of the best young strikers from all over Europe, the Nigeria international was once again the winner of Sunday night’s match.
In fact, further highlighting why Napoli have reportedly placed a £90m price tag on the 23-year-old, Osimhen has now scored in each of his last three consecutive matches since his return.
Offering another option for a Napoli side that has already landed 26 Serie A shots in its first 11 matches, Spalletti should be very excited to see how his attacking talisman has hit the ground running straight away.
Match report:
Roma: Patricio, Mancini, Smalling, Ibanez, Karsdorp, Cristante, Pellegrini, Camara, Spinazzola, Zaniolo, Abraham
Subscriptions: Vina, Belotti, Matic
Naples: Meret, Di Lorenzo, Kim, Juan, Olivera, Zelinsky, Lobotka, Ndombele, Lozano, Osimkhen, Kvaratskhelia
Subscriptions: Politano, Elmas
Goals: Osimhen (80′)
Yellow cards: Roma: Smalling, Ibanez, Cristante – Napoli: Olivera, Lobotka, Ndombele, Lozano
Red cards: N/A
Referee: Massimiliano Irrati