Serie A

Osimhen takes Serie A tally past 20-goal mark as Napoli thrash Torino to inch closer to the title

Joel Omotto
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Victor Osimhen Torino Napoli
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Victor Osimhen took his tally to 21 goals in Serie A when he scored twice as Napoli thrashed Torino 4-0 on Sunday.
  • Osimhen scored a brace in Torino
  • The Nigerian headed in both goals
  • 24-year-old has scored 21 in Serie A

WHAT HAPPENED? Osimhen scored his 11th goal in as many games when he headed in Piotr Zielinski’s corner after just nine minutes before Khvicha Kvaratskhelia converted from the spot 10 minutes before the break for a 2-0 lead at halftime.

The Nigerian then became the first player to score over 20 goals in Serie A this season when he completed a brace of headed goals in a single match for the second time in 2023 after connecting well with Mathias Olivera’s floated ball six minutes after the break.

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Osimhen then outwitted two players to poke the ball into Kvaratskhelia’s path and the Georgia international, in turn, slid through to the onrushing Tanguy Ndombele to make it 4-0 with 22 minutes remaining.

The victory left Napoli 21 points clear at the summit as they continue to march to their first Serie A title since 1990 with 12 games to go.

THE BIGGER PICTURE: Osimhen has been vital to Napoli’s title charge this season, with the Nigerian overcoming an injury early in the season to return just at the right time.

The 24-year-old has been too hot to handle, especially in the second half of the season, netting 15 goals in 2023, the same as Manchester City goal machine Erling Haaland, with only Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford (16) scoring more than him.

Osimhen has been scoring all kinds of goals but showed once more why he is the most dangerous player in the air currently with his headed brace, which took his tally in 2022-23 to 25 from 29 games in all competitions.

Napoli are also challenging in the Champions League and will face Serie A rivals AC Milan in the quarter-final with Osimhen, who has four goals in the competition, likely to be central to their charge.

WHAT’S NEXT? Osimhen will link up with the Super Eagles squad for this month’s 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Guinea-Bissau.

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