Napoli’s dreams of a first Serie A title since the days of Diego Maradona are more alive than ever after thrashing Juventus 5-1 on Friday and moving nine points clear at the summit.
Luciano Spalletti’s free-flowing team once again thrilled with a statement performance against their old rivals to stamp their authority on a title race which is increasingly looking like a one-team affair. Victor Osimhen took his league tally for the season to 12 with a goal in each half while Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Amir Rrahmani and Eljif Elmas netted the hosts’ other goals to extend their advantage on both Juve and AC Milan.
Champions Milan could only cut the gap back to nine points after being held by Lecce 2-2 yesterday but the way Napoli dealt with Juve was the latest signal that southern Italy’s biggest club are the real deal and ready to end a 33-year wait for a league crown.
Kvaratskhelia and Osimhen were devastating in attack, with the pair setting up each other’s goals and causing havoc more or less from the first whistle against a team who before Friday had only conceded seven league goals in 17 matches. “It was a brilliant night,” said Osimhen said. “I’m happy for the team and I’m happy as well to contribute to it with two goals and an assist. We want to keep this momentum. The road is still long, we just want to continue to win our games... at the end of the season I think we have a good chance.”
Juve had come into the match at a packed Stadio Maradona on a run of eight straight wins in which they hadn’t conceded, making them title contenders despite a dismal start to the season. Instead Massimiliano Allegri’s team left Naples with their tails between their legs after conceding five goals in a Serie A match for the first time since May 1993.
Yesterday, Milan’s Serie A title defence suffered another blow despite coming back from two goals down to draw at Lecce.
Rafeal Leao and Davide Calabria struck to pull Milan back from a dismal first-half display which left them trailing to a Theo Hernandez own-goal and Federico Baschirotto’s well-placed header. Stefano Pioli’s side showed fight to level against promoted Lecce, who beat Atalanta and Lazio in their last two matches at the Stadio Via Del Mare.
The draw moved second-placed Milan a point above Juventus, but concludes a poor week which has severely compromised their bid to retain the Scudetto. It comes after throwing away a two-goal lead in the final minutes against Roma last weekend and then being dumped out of the Italian Cup at the last 16 stage by 10-man Torino.