ITALIAN SERIE A
*Osimhen’s brace give Napoli 21-point gap after 4-0 win at Torino
Femi Solaja with agency report
Victor Osimhen hit a brace as Napoli’s march to the Serie A title continued with a 4-0 victory at Torino.
The Nigeria striker fired in either half at Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino to send Napoli 21 points clear at the top, although second-placed Inter were one goal down at 77 minutes in Juventus as at press time last night.
After Osimhen opened the scoring in the early exchanges, the Partenopei soon had control as Khvicha Kvaratskhelia scored from the penalty spot.
Any hope of a Torino comeback was wiped away soon after the interval, Osimhen netting again before Tanguy Ndombele added another to keep Napoli on course for the crown
Osimhen has now scored 20 league goals this season, becoming the fourth Napoli’s player in the De Laurentiis era to have scored 20+ goals in a single Serie A campaign, after Cavani, Higuaín and Mertens.
It took just nine minutes for Napoli to take the lead, Osimhen meeting Piotr Zielinski’s corner and heading a controlled finish into the far corner of Vanja Milinkovic-Savic’s net.
The hosts would not be silenced though, Alex Meret denying a fierce Samuele Ricci drive before Nikola Vlasic poked the rebound onto the post from close range.
Napoli doubled their lead 10 minutes before the break as Kvaratskhelia slotted a penalty straight down the middle after being felled by Karol Linetty.
Osimhen struck a drilled effort from outside the box that required a diving save from Milinkovic-Savic, with Luciano Spalletti’s visitors threatening to run rampant before the break.
Napoli struck again after 51 minutes as Kvaratskhelia’s inventive flick found Mathias Olivera, who lofted an inviting left-wing cross for Osimhen to tuck home.
Kvaratskhelia capped a fine individual display in the 68th minute, unselfishly teeing up substitute Ndombele to poke under Milinkovic-Savic and wrap up a commanding win.
