Fiorentina squash Napoli’s Scudetto dream

 

Fiorentina seemed to have repeated what they did to Napoli in 2018 with another shocking win at the Diego Amando Maradona Stadium on Sunday.

Viola recorded a 3-2 win against their hosts – a setback for Napoli’s Scudetto dream.

The Florence club had similarly defeated Pertonopei in 2018.

On his return from suspension, Victor Osimhen scored the second goal for the hosts while they were 3-1 down.

Fiorentina did not sit back as they went out searching for the fourth, leading to end-to-end action in the last five minutes of the match.

Osimhen’s first chance in the game was a diving header on a floated Piotr Zielinski cross which went inches wide. Lorenzo Insigne also had a chance at goal, but his lob landed on the roof of the net while  Fabian Ruiz wasted from a very promising position.

Osimhen’s goal in the 14th minute was cancelled but was offside on the Zielinski cross-shot.

But Fiorentina shocked their host with the lead from a classic counter-attack. Biraghi, who had earlier stung Ospina’s glove, pulled back from the by-line from Alfred Duncan’s cross that was not cleared properly. Nico Gonzalez then open the goals account after chesting down the ball and smashed on the half-volley into the top corner from 12 yards with his right boot.

After Mario Rui wasted a golden opportunity by blasting over the bar, the hosts eventually equalised through Dries Mertens, who scored with practically his first touch.

Insigne released a pass to  Osimhen down the left. The Nigerian then intelligently pulled it back for the substitute to sweep in first time right-footed from the edge of the box into the near bottom corner.

Fiorentina took the lead again with another substitute Jonathan Ikone. He had enough time and space to control and drill his angled drive under Alessandro Zanoli’s legs into the far bottom corner, scoring his first goal in the Viola jersey.

Fiorentina made it a two-goal difference through Arthur Cabral, who cut inside from the left, turned Stanislav Lobotka inside out, and curled right-footed into the far bottom corner.

After several attacks from the hosts,  Osimhen later reduced the difference by chesting down a long ball between two defenders, letting it bounce, and smashing the volley first-time into the far top corner.

 

Written by: Oladipupo Mojeed