Napoli continue the Scudetto party with a win against Fiorentina

 

Napoli continue the Scudetto celebration with their fans at the Diego Maradona Stadium with a 1-0 win against Fiorentina.

Pertonopei had secured their first Scudetto in three decades with a 1-1 draw at Udinese as Serie A highest goalscorer Victor Osimhen shook off a penalty miss to set a new record in the league.

Apart from being the first African to score 21 goals in the league, he also becomes the first African highest goalscorer in Serie A.

The Sunday meeting was the first opportunity to enjoy the moment with their fans at the Stadio Maradona. They got a win to cap the occasion that Fiorentina welcomed the new Champions of Italy with a guard of honor.

Fiorentina got the first chance through Luka Jovic. The Serb nodded an Aleksa Terzic cross over the bar. Pierluigi Gollini, who spent the first six months of the season with the Viola, well saved his other header.

Gollini was alert to rescue Napoli again when Ostigard slipped to let Jovic through. 

Fiorentina again looked for the opener, but Pietro Terracciano smothered Giovanni Di Lorenzo’s volley, while Kim Min-Jae stopped Jovic from reaching the Terzic cross.

The first real chance for the host came through the highest goalscorer, but Osimhen hit the side-netting from an Eljif Elmas slide-rule pass.

The negative of the match was when Lozano was carried off the field after sustaining a knee injury.

Napoli where awarded a penalty straight after the restart as  Osimhen forced Fiorentina into an error through his high pressing. Amrabat shoved Stanislav Lobotka over, and the referee pointed to the penalty spot.

 Osimhen failed to score from the spot as Terracciano parried both his spot-kick and the rebound. The Nigerian striker still needs to convert both Serie A and the Champions efforts this season.

Fiorentina continued their search for a goal as Gollinin again was called into action when he saved Amrabat’s shot from a distance.

Napoli would have been ahead a moment later, but Mathias Olivera over-hit the pass that would’ve been an easy tap-in for Osimhen.

The Nigerian striker again missed the target when his dink over Terracciano bounced on the turf, hit the underside of the crossbar, and rebounded out of an empty net.

Napoli eventually got another opportunity from the penalty spot after Kvicha Kvaratskhelia’s dummies drew Nico Gonzalez into an avoidable challenge.

This time around, Osimhen converted by sending Terracciano the wrong way. With the goal, he added to his Capocannoniere tally and broke George Weah’s record of Serie A goals for an African player.

Napoli eventually held on for a win as the party continued in Naples.

Oladipupo Mojeed