Expected to break all manner of scoring records tonight against winless minnows Cremonese, leaders Napoli came into the game with only one team having scored more opening goals in Serie A this season, and Gli Azzurri made a quick start to keep that trend going.
The opener came after 22 minutes, when Khvicha Kvaratskhelia picked up the ball before dancing past his marker and placing the ball into the far bottom corner.
Already with the perfect 22nd birthday present to his name, the Georgian went close to doubling his and Napoli’s tally just five minutes later, as he rose highest to meet Giovanni Di Lorenzo's floating cross, but he could only direct his header wide of the upright.
That aside, Napoli – perhaps with one eye on their UEFA Champions League first leg trip to Frankfurt later this month – were not as devastating as many expected them to be, ensuring an eventual 1-0 half-time scoreline that many visiting fans would have taken as a moral victory in itself.
Prior to this round of fixtures, only Erling Haaland boasted more non-penalty goals than Victor Osimhen in Europe’s top five leagues.
So it came as no surprise when the Nigerian striker got in on the goalscoring, as he showed off his poacher’s instinct to prod the ball home from inside the six-yard box to get on the scoresheet for the sixth consecutive league game.
The home side’s ruthless nature truly began to shine through in the latter stages, as they went three goals ahead through substitute Eljif Elmas, who finished off a brilliant move with a low strike across the goalkeeper and into the far bottom corner.
Napoli saw the game out with ease to extend their winning Serie A run to six games and go 16 points clear at the top of the table, ahead of Inter Milan’s visit to Sampdoria tomorrow evening.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (Napoli)
