February 25, (THEWILL) – Napoli secured a 2-0 victory against Empoli, thanks to a goal from Victor Osimhen and an own goal prompted by the Nigerian forward in another man-of-the-match display.
The I Partenopei notched their 20th win in 21 Serie A rounds, fresh from their 2-0 UEFA Champions League win over Eintracht Frankfurt. However, the beauty of the victory was dampened as Mario Rui was sent off for a reaction foul after a collision with Francesco Caputo.
The first goal was the result of a bit of good fortune, with a corner finding its way to Piotr Zielinski, who crossed it to the back post for Osimhen. However, Ardian Ismajli inadvertently turned it into his own net. The second goal also came from a corner, with Kvicha Kvaratskhelia’s right-foot curler being palmed into the path of Osimhen to score past the Empoli goalkeeper.
Napoli seemed in control of the game until Rui was sent off for a kick to Caputo’s crotch when they collided. This will imply, at the very least, a certain two-match ban. The team will be without Rui for League fixtures against Lazio and Atalanta. Despite being down to ten men, Napoli continued to press forward, with Giovanni Simeone forcing a save from Vicario within 30 seconds of coming on as a substitute.
It is Osimhen’s eighth straight-scoring match. He became the second youngest player, at 24 years, 58 days, to find the net in eight Serie A games in a row, behind only Roberto Muzzi, who was 23 years, 165 for Cagliari in 1995. Napoli are back in action on Friday at home against Lazio while Empoli travels to Monza the following day.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
