Osimhen strikes sink Verona to keep Napoli on leaders Milan’s tail

Victor Osimhen

Victor Osimhen ensured that Napoli stayed on the heels of Serie A leaders AC Milan yesterday with both goals in an eventful 2-1 win at Verona which moved his team second. Nigeria striker Osimhen struck in each half as Luciano Spalletti’s team ensured they would be three points behind Milan in a three-way title race, with Inter five points back in third ahead of their trip to Torino late last night. Osimhen gave the away side a deserved 14th-minute lead by thumping home a perfect header from Matteo Politano’s cross on an busy day in which he also forgot his protective face mask when coming out for the second half. At one point it looked as though Napoli would have to do without their star forward for over half an hour when the 23-year-old was down with a left shoulder problem following a clash with Koray Gunter. Osimhen was on the floor for two minutes and then treated pitchside while Spalletti was also deciding what to do with goalkeeper David Ospina, who just moments earlier had Federico Ceccherini land on his hand during a goalmouth scramble and looked in serious pain. That created a real problem for Spalletti who was also without Alex Meret with a fractured vertebra and on the bench only had young stoppers Davide Marfella and Hubert Idasiak, neither of whom have ever played a Serie A match. Both carried on however and Osimhen doubled Napoli’s lead with his ninth league goal of the season in the 71st minute, meeting Giovanni Di Lorenzo’s low pull back with a neat first-time finish which left Lorenzo Montipo with no chance. The match looked done and dusted but there was still time for more drama as Marco Faraoni headed the hosts back into the game six minutes later following a delightful move and a pinpoint Adrien Tameze cross. However just as Igor Tudor’s team pushed for the draw Ceccherini was sent off for a second bookable offence which allowed a ruffled Napoli to close out the match. Ceccherini’s sending off infuriated Verona and captain Faraoni was also shown a red card after the final whistle following livid protests directed at referee Daniele Doveri. Verona stay ninth after a defeat which dented their hopes of continental football next season. They are five points behind eighth-placed Fiorentina who beat Bologna 1-0 in early match to move to within touching distance of the European places. Vincenzo Italiano’s side are two points behind both Roma and Atalanta who occupy sixth and fifth after their respective draws with Udinese and Genoa. Roma snatched a late point in Udine thanks to Lorenzo Pellegrini’s penalty in the fourth minute of stoppage time, saving Jose Mourinho’s side from defeat after Nahuel Molina had put the hosts ahead in the 14th minute. Atalanta meanwhile look to have forfeited their fight for the Champions League after a goalless stalemate with struggling Genoa, who have now drawn all seven matches under coach Alexander Blessin.