Napoli’s march to the Scudetto continues without a hitch, beating Turin 4-0 and puts another three precious bricks towards a goal that has been missing for 33 years. Unlocking the match at the Olimpico Grande Torino is the usual Osimhen, who headed Milinkovic-Savic in the 9th minute following a Zielinski corner. Meret stops Vlasic and Ricci and is lucky on the Sanabria post (22′), then Kvaratskhelia gets it (foul by Linetty) and scores the penalty for 2-0 in the 35th minute. at 51′ Osimhen, still with the head, drops the trio. Poker bears the signature of Ndombele on an assist from Kvara. Spalletti rises to 71 points in the standings, Juric remains at 37.
THE MATCH
Napoli continues to fly, it also strolls in Turin’s home and even the superstitious fans present at the stadium sing with all the reasons in the world “We will win the tricolor”. Because now it’s only a matter of time, but there are no more doubts about who will succeed Milan in the golden register of Serie A. Cover men the usual Osimhen and Kvaratskhelia, the tandem of wonders, icing on the cake of a team practically perfect and that today the bull’s boarding suffered only about ten minutes. The other 80 were a blue monologue, with the conductor Spalletti who led him to yet another applause performance. A feast for the eyes and a sight for all football lovers. Toro tried, he also deserved the momentary 1-1, but he could hardly have changed the ending of the story.
Juric makes three changes compared to the formation that won in Lecce: Rodriguez moves back in defense for Buongiorno, with Vojvoda as a left winger, Ricci is preferred to Ilic in midfield and Vlasic, returning from injury, takes the place of injured Miranchuk. Still out Karamoh. Spalletti made two changes compared to Atalanta: Meret resumed his place in goal and Lozano won the offensive ballot with Politano. As usual, Napoli puts a lot of pressure on Toro’s ball carriers and already in the 9th minute the first alarm bell rings for the grenade, when Rodriguez sacrifices himself on Lozano’s conclusion, an opportunity born from a wrong lineout from Single. From the corner, the usual Osimhen jumps higher than Schuurs and heads Milinkovic-Savic. The goal conceded shakes Turin which for about ten minutes puts the Azzurri rearguard in great crisis: in the 14th minute Meret dives back Vlasic’s shot, in the 22nd minute the goalkeeper of the leaders rejects the strong but central blow from Ricci and Sanabria on retaliated sensationally hits the post, a minute later Vojovoda misses the mirror and in the 25th minute Sanabria heads up but ends just over. The grenades always try to build from behind, but they risk a lot and in the half hour Rodriguez still anticipates Lozano by saving a goal. Napoli’s doubling comes in the 35th minute, when Linetty touches Kvara’s right foot, Marchetti points to the spot. The Georgian, who had missed a penalty in the first leg against Eintracht in the Champions League, kicked central and displaced Milinkovic-Savic. The double disadvantage is a blow for Toro, who risks conceding the third goal in the 38th minute, but Milinkovic-Savic overcomes Osimhen. We go to the break with Napoli deservedly ahead, but the hosts are eating their hands for the many opportunities not taken advantage of on 0-1.
No changes at the interval and at the start of the second half Napoli closed the match: Kvara with a back-heel triggered Olivera, a long cross on the far post by the Uruguayan who still found Osimhen’s head. It is the goal that definitively extinguishes Torino’s remaining hopes, the 25th of the season by the phenomenal Nigerian striker. At this point both Juric and Spalletti draw from the bench, the former to give him a jolt, the latter to rest the owners and give away minutes to the second lines. Before going out, however, Osimhen wins a strong duel with Schuurs and serves Kvaratskhelia, the Georgian sees the arrival of Ndombele who drops the poker with a shot under the legs of the grenade goalkeeper. We are at 68′ and the last twenty minutes is little more than training.
REPORT CARDS
Rodriguez 6,5 – In the first half he makes two saves on Lozano which count as two goals (especially the first). By far the best of him.
Sanabria 5 – Difficult life with Rrahmani and Kim, but the post from close range at 0-1 still cries out for revenge because he could have put the match on other tracks.
Linetty 4,5 – An authentic disaster in the middle of the field, already in the 9th minute he combines half an omelette with Singo, which Rodriguez remedied. He naive on the penalty kick, when he touches Kvaratskhelia’s foot. After less than 10′ in the second half, Juric takes it off. Rightly.
Osimhen 8,5 – As for Napoli, even for the Nigerian there are no more adjectives. Two more header goals, 25 of the season, he also had a hand in the fourth goal by winning a duel of strength with Schuurs. Simply implacable, a sentence.
Kvaratskhelia 7,5 – With Osimhen he forms one of the most implacable couples in Europe. He gets and scores the penalty to make it 2-0, kicks off the third goal with a back-heel and gives Ndombele the assist for the fourth goal. Overwhelming.
Kim 7 – Another great performance by the South Korean giant, a real wall in front of Meret. Spalletti is probably right: at the moment he is the best centre-back in the world.
THE TABLE
TURIN-NAPLES 0-4
Udinese (3-4-2-1): Milinkovic-Savic 6; Gravillon 5 (9′ st Djidji 5), Schuurs 4.5, Rodriguez 6.5; Singo 5 (30′ st Ola Aina 5.5), Ricci 5.5, Linetty 4.5 (9′ st Ilic 5), Vojvoda 5 (9′ st Buongiorno 5.5); Vlasic 6 (40′ st Seck sv), Radonjic 5; Sanabria 5.
A disp.: Fiorenza, Gemello, Bayeye, Pellegri, Adopo, Gineitis, N’Guessan.
All.: Juric 5
Napoli (4-3-3): Meret 6,5; Di Lorenzo 7, Rrahmani 6,5 (27′ st Ostigard 6), Kim 7, Olivera 7; Anguissa 6,5, Lobotka 7 (40′ st Gaetano sv), Zielinski 7 (20′ st Ndombele 6,5); Lozano 6,5 (20′ st Elmas 6), Osimhen 8,5 (27′ st Simeone 6), Kvaratskhelia 7,5.
A disp.: Idasiak, Gollini, Juan Jesus, Mario Rui, Bereszynski, Politano, Zerbin, Zedadka.
All.Spalletti 8
Referee: Marchetti
Markers: 9′ e 6′ st Osimhen (N), 35′ rig. Kvaratskhelia (N), 23′ st Ndombele (N)
Ammonite yourself: Gravel (T), Ndombele (N)
Expelled: –
Note: –
THE STATISTICS
Napoli have scored 71 points this season, their record after 27 Serie A games.
Victor Osimhen has scored 21 goals in this league, becoming the fourth player of the De Laurentiis era to score at least 20 goals in a single Serie A season, after Cavani, Higuaín and Mertens.
For the first time in their history, Napoli have kept six clean sheets in a row in Serie A.
Napoli have won 51 Serie A matches against Turin, only against Lazio (54) have they done better in the top flight.
For the first time in its history Napoli went unbeaten 16 games in a row against Torino in Serie A.
Victor Osimhen has scored in six straight Serie A away games; since 1994/95 only Higuain had succeeded with the Napoli shirt (six between 2015 and 2016).
Victor Osimhen scored seven goals with his head, like in the last championship; no Napoli player has done better in a single Serie A season since 2004/05 (as of when data is available).
Victor Osimhen is the first player to score two headers in a single Serie A season since Alberto Gilardino in 2009/10.
Victor Osimhen has scored 21 goals in this league, equaling 2010/11’s Samuel Eto’o as Africa’s top goalscorer in a single Serie A season.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (12 goals and 10 assists in this Serie A) is the first player with at least 10 goals and 10 assists in his first season ever in the top five European leagues since Diego in 2006/07 (13 goals and 13 assists with Werder Bremen).
Napoli have scored 15 headers this season, a record for Neapolitans in Serie A since 2004/05 (as of when data is available).
Napoli have scored 15 goals from developing corners, more than any other team in this league.
André-Frank Zambo Anguissa reached the milestone of 50 appearances in Serie A today.