Victor Osimhen‘s Napoli clashed with Cagliari on Saturday evening, in what turned out to be an interesting fixture. The Partenopei were the bookies' favourites going into this game, after earning a spot in the knockout stages of the UEFA Champions League a few days ago.
Although the visitors gave Napoli a run for their money, Walter Mazzarri's men eventually came out on top. Thanks, in part, to Victor Osimhen. The Super Eagles star fired his team to victory, registering a goal and assist in a hard-fought 2-1 win.
Goalless first half
It's important to note that Napoli came into this match on the back of a 2-0 victory over Braga in the UEFA Champions League. Prior to that win, they had lost three consecutive matches in all competitions.
Interestingly, Saturday's game started slow; and although Napoli controlled most of the ball, they were unable to find the net. Both teams were on level terms at the end of the half-time break, but Cagliari escaped by the skin of their teeth.
The Partenopei had 77 percent of the ball after the first half. They registered 15 total shots; three of those were on target, three were blocked, while nine went off target. On the other hand, Cagliari managed four shots, with just one of those going on target.
Floodgates open in second half
Although there were no goals in the first half, it certainly wasn't a boring one. While the goals started to flow in the second half, it wasn't until the 69th minute, when Osimhen opened the scoring for Napoli.
It may interest you to know that Cagliari were back on level terms just three minutes later, thanks to Leonardo Pavoletti's goal. However, the visiting team's joy was short-lived, as Osimhen found Kvicha Kvaratskhelia for Napoli's winner. Napoli finished Sunday's game with 21 total shots, while Cagliari had nine shots, with three of those going on target.
This article was most recently revised and updated 11 months ago