October 12, (THEWILL) – Victor Osimhen marked his substitute return to the Napoli side with the last goal as the I Partenopei clinched a thrilling victory over Ajax to advance to the UEFA Champions League’s knockout rounds.
Hirving Lozano’s looping header into the far corner and Giacomo Raspadori’s left-footed drive into the roof of the net gave them an early two-goal advantage. In the second half, Davy Klaasen cut the deficit for Ajax but Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s unjustly given penalty for handball against Jurrien Timber restored Napoli’s two-goal cushion.
After Juan Jesus was found to have fouled Brian Brobbey late in the game, the visitors were awarded a penalty of their own, which Steven Bergwijn converted to make for a tense conclusion.
Osimhen helped to restore calm when he forced Daley Blind into a mistake and scored his first UCL goal of the season by tapping the ball into the empty net.
As a result, Napoli is currently in a strong position to top Group A ahead of Liverpool. Osimhen’s scoring return means he will likely start on Sunday against Bologna. On the same day, Ajax host Excelsior in the Eredivisie.
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.
