Osimhen Bags Hat-Trick As Napoli Run Riot Against Sassuolo

Osimhen Bags Hat-Trick As Napoli Run Riot Against Sassuolo

Ibraheem Lateef Ayodele

Super Eagles red-hot striker Victor Osimhen scored his 7th goal of the season with a hat-trick as Napoli looked unstoppable with a 13th consecutive victory in all competitions after they mauled Sassuolo 4-0 on Saturday, BSNSports.com.ng reports.

The Partenopei are the form team in Europe right now, welcoming back Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa from injury, so only Amir Rahmani was still out of action. The Neroverdi had Gian Marco Ferrari available again after suspension, but Domenico Berardi, Mert Muldaur and Gregoire Defrel were on the treatment table.

It means the last four Serie A meetings between these sides provided 21 goals. There was a moment before kick-off to mark what would’ve been Diego Armando Maradona’s 62nd birthday.

Armand Laurienté won a corner in the opening minutes after surging past two defenders, but Napoli took the lead with their first real attack. Giovanni Di Lorenzo volleyed in a cross from the right, Kvicha Kvaratskhelia only flicked it on with his head and the Nigerian was ready to turn in at the back post.

Mario Rui’s lob was acrobatically fingertipped onto the crossbar by Andrea Consigli, but Andrea Pinamonti skimmed the near post for Sassuolo with a shot through the legs of Juan Jesus from the edge of the area.

The second goal saw Kvaratskhelia get to the by-line and hold off Maxime Lopez to pull back low for Osimhen to simply redirect from six yards.

Thorstvedt failed to beat Alex Meret one-on-one after springing the offside trap, as did Laurienté at the near post.

However, Kvaratskhelia followed up two assists with a goal. His first touch was sensational to control a Mario Rui ball over the top, he let it bounce and smashed in with his right foot.

Maradona almost got another moment later, a sensational flying scissor-kick volley from the edge of the box that flew just over the bar.

Straight after the restart, Meret got down well to palm Pinamonti’s angled drive onto the feet of Thorstvedt, who somehow failed to get it under control for a tap-in, then Davide Frattesi flashed a ball across the face of the goal with nobody there to meet it after a cheeky Laurienté no-look pass and Meret denied Frattesi on a through the pass.

Meret denied Frattesi again, though this time he seemed to be held back first by Juan Jesus, while Giacomo Raspadori’s free-kick was deflected wide.

Tanguy Ndombele won back the ball in midfield and Osimhen beat the on-rushing Consigli with a cheeky chip to complete his hat-trick.

Laurienté was already on a yellow card when he launched into a late tackle on Diego Demme and was sent off.

Alessandro Zanoli ran from his half to set up Osimhen, but Consigli got just enough on the cross to take it away from the Nigerian.