Victor Osimhen and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia were in fiery form as Napoli sealed a crucial 2-1 win against Cagliari in their crucial Serie A fixture, at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona in Naples, on Saturday. Osimhen opened the scoring for the hosts in the 69th-minute, but then Cagliari equalised right away through Leonardo Pavoletti in the 72nd-minute.
But Osimhen had other plans, and a sensational assist in the 75th-minute from the Nigerian saw Kvaratskhelia make it 2-1 for Napoli. Osimhen got into the penalty area and occupied as many as four defenders with a series of keep-ups. Then, he turned and got beyond two players, before squaring a pass for the Georgian, whose first-time finish left the goalkeeper with no chance.
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Osimhen has maintained his form since last season and is currently joint-third in the Serie A top-scorer race, after convincingly winning it last season, with seven goals in 12 matches so far. He is also being reported to be eyeing a move to Chelsea, who are looking for a quality goalscorer. But it is also being reported that he is close to signing a new deal with Napoli that will see his release clause rise to 130 million Euros.
The start of the match was delayed for a half hour after strong winds prompted an inspection of the stadium roof. While there was no damage, the inspection delayed fans’ entrance. Osimhen posed with his African player of the year award, having flown to Morocco earlier in the week to pick it up. Osimhen won the honor ahead of Achraf Hakimi and Mohamed Salah.
Speaking after the match, Napoli head coach Walter Mazzarri said, “I’m really pleased that Osimhen and Kvara scored, because they were both nervous. Napoli needs both of them to rediscover last season’s form.”
Meanwhile, Cagliari head coach Claudio Raneiri added, “We did everything we could but when you go up against champions like Osimhen and Kvara they can decide the match in an instant.”
