Bologna proved to be a tough nut to crack for the Partenopeans, but Osimhen was on hand to demystify them
Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen scored his second consecutive goal for Napoli to help them secure a 3-2 victory over Bologna.
The Partenopeans were looking to claim a tenth consecutive victory in all competitions when they welcomed Serie A strugglers Bologna to the Stadio Diego Maradona.
Osimeh scored for Napoli against Ajax in the Champions League but as part of precautionary measures, he had to start from the bench for the second consecutive game to prevent an injury relapse.
Bologna proved a difficult nut to crack from the start, and they showed promise in attack, with Joshua Zirkzee constantly probing Napoli’s backline.
Napoli had the bulk of possession, but they failed to do anything meaningful. They got pegged back five minutes before the break, as Bologna showed brilliance in the final third with their intricate passing, and Zirkzee was on the end to send a low shot past Meret to make it 1-0.
However, Bologna could not keep their lead for long as Napoli attacked them with more zeal.
The Naples kings got their breakthrough just before halftime. Juan Jesus collected a loose ball in the box and fired home from close range to make it 1-1.
Nigerian striker Osimhen was thrown into the fray in the second half and his presence was felt.
Hirving Lozano put Napoli in front for the first time in the game after he struck a rebound to make it 2-1 in the 49th minute.
Unfortunately for Luciano Spalletti’s men, their lead was short-lived, as Musa Barrow unleashed a powerful belter that sailed into the bottom right corner to make it 2-2.
Napoli kept probing to get the vital goal that would put them in the driver’s seat, and they got it in the 69th minute.
Georgian wonderkid Khvicha Kvaratshkelia spread a pass onto the path of Osimhen, who reacted quickly under pressure from a defender and skillfully chipped the ball into an empty net.
Even after making it 3-2, Napoli kept pushing, but they failed to score more goals.
It ended 3-2 in Naples, and the win takes Napoli two points clear of Atalanta, who played out a goalless stalemate with Udinese.
The victory is Napoli’s tenth consecutive in the league. And they remain unbeaten in all competitions this season.
