Last Update: February 18, 2023, 07:19 IST
Napoli’s Khvicha Kvartskhelia and Victor Asimhen (AP)
Napoli beat Sassuolo 2-0 to open up an 18-point lead for their seventh consecutive win in Serie A, thanks to first-half goals from Khvitcha Kvartskhelia and Victor Osimhen.
Napoli took another step towards their first Serie A title since 1990 on Friday as Khvitcha Kvartskhelia and Victor Osimhen scored to earn leaders a 2-0 win at Sassuolo and move 18 points clear.
It seemed like only a matter of time before Luciano Spalletti’s fiery side secured the Scudetto most sought after by Napoli fans since the days of Diego Maradona.
And in Spalletti’s 1,000th match as manager, his team made no mistake at the Mapei Stadium, which saw Napoli fans invade the home fans’ stands due to the closure of the away section.
A seventh league win on the bounce leaves their rivals far behind, with 62 points collected in 23 matches underscoring their dominance of Italy’s top flight.
At best this weekend, second-placed Inter Milan can maintain their 15-point pre-match difference if they beat out-of-form Udinese on Saturday night.
“The only thing we can do is keep doing the things we do well,” Spalletti told DAZN.
“Sassuolo is a team that knows how to play football, you can’t dominate for 90 minutes, but in the second half we did a lot better.”
Napoli’s focus is now on their trip to the Champions League at Eintracht Frankfurt on Tuesday, with a run in Europe’s top club competition certainly a possibility given the fine form of their attackers Jewels Kvartskhelia and Osimhen.
Spalletti said, “Eintracht are a really good team, they have a lot of pace… They attack really quickly and are technically gifted players.”
“They have more experience playing knockout football than us, they did well in the Europa League last season… that’s what we’re trying to do.”
Kvartskhelia, Osimhen on target
Kvartskhelia got the ball rolling with his 10th goal of the Serie A season in an impressive 11th minute at Reggio Emilia, a graceful run and low finish that highlighted why Europe’s biggest clubs are already on the Georgian wing wizard Eyes closed.
Osimhen, who had already reached the post, doubled the hosts’ lead in the 33rd minute when he collected Amir Rahmani’s pass, spun Martin Erlich and rifled home from an impossible angle past Andrea Consigli. attacked.
The pair have now scored 28 of Napoli’s 56 league goals, with Osimhen netting nine times in eight league appearances since the start of the year.
Sassuolo could not repeat their heroics of recent weeks against ailing champions AC Milan and Atalanta but put up a good fight on Friday night despite playing without injured star Domenico Berardi.
Alessio Dionici’s side, who are seven points above the relegation zone in 15th, caused Napoli problems and struck the post through Armand Lorient just after Kvartskhelia’s opener.
The match could have taken a different turn if Llorente’s close-range finish had not been ruled out for interference from an offside position for Grégoire Defele.
Napoli fans were concerned about Osimhen’s condition when he was subbed off with six minutes to go, but Spalletti said after the match that there was “no particular problem” with the Nigeria forward.
The only low note left in an otherwise perfect night as super-sub Giovanni Simeone scored a late goal for Hirving Lozano to be offside before swinging in his right cross for the Argentine forward.
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(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed)