*Spalleti: “ We must not squander the possibilities (of Scudetto) we have”
Duro Ikhazuagbe with agency report
After Victor Osimhen scored his 13th Serie A goal yesterday as Napoli defeated Salernitana 2-0 to go 12 points clear of second-placed AC Milan, Manager of the Naples-based team, Luciano Spalletti, insisted his wards cannot hit 50 points half way of the Italian topflight and not win the Scudetto.
Goals from Giovanni Di Lorenzo and Osimhen helped Napoli to a routine 2-0 victory over the strugglers on Saturday, moving them 12 points clear of second-placed Milan ahead of the Rossoneri’s trip to Lazio on Tuesday.
The result made Napoli just the third team to reach 50 points in the first half of a Serie A season, after Juventus (in 2013-14 and 2018-19) and Inter (in 2006-07).
Osimhen hit target in the 48th minute to double the Napoli lead after he followed up on a rebound. Halfway through the campaign, the Super Eagles striker is now just a goal shy of his total tally for last season.
Osimhen thought he had even put his club in front earlier in the first half, but that effort was chalked off.
No team has ever failed to win Serie A after reaching a half-century of points at this stage of a campaign, and head coach Spalletti knows Napoli have an incredible opportunity to claim their first league title since 1990.
“We know that we have an unprecedented opportunity,” Spalletti told DAZN after the win. “We must not squander the possibilities we have. We must remain humble and do things professionally.”
Napoli had to remain patient before making the breakthrough in Salerno, recording their lowest shot tally in the first half of a Serie A match (two) since February 2021 (one v Atalanta).
The Partenopei were good value for their victory after Di Lorenzo hammered home on the stroke of half-time, however, leading Spalletti to praise the way they improved as the game went on.
“These matches can be conditioned by us having too much responsibility,” he said.
“You have to take the field with the right mentality and always play football well, with the correct rhythm, which is what makes you win the games.
“In the first half we couldn’t find the spaces and indeed we could have risked some dangerous restarts. In the second half, however, everyone did very well.
Reflecting on Napoli’s incredible campaign to date, Di Lorenzo credited his team-mates for their response to the pre-season exits of key players including Kalidou Koulibaly, Fabian Ruiz, Lorenzo Insigne and Dries Mertens.
