Victor Osimhen continued his red-hot form since his return from injury with a hat-trick in Napoli’s 4-0 bashing of Sassuolo on Saturday.
Nigeria forward Osimhen scored twice in the first 20 minutes of the game in Naples and then completed his treble with a fabulous dink with just 13 minutes left on the clock. The win took sent Napoli clear at the top of Serie A and also extended the club’s winning streak to 13 matches
The 23-year-old Nigerian has marked his return to the team after over a month out with a thigh injury with six goals in his last four matches across the Serie A and the Champions League.
Saturday’s clinical display of finishing took his league tally this season to seven goals in eight appearances and moved him level with Bologna’s Marko Arnautovic at the top of the scoring charts.
His first two goals were laid on by Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, this year’s revelation who also netted the third in an exciting performance on the day Napoli celebrated late club icon Diego Maradona’s 62nd birthday, which would have been Sunday.
Georgia winger Kvaratskhelia has scored eight times and set up eight more since arriving in the summer and plays for Napoli with the kind of zest and freedom that few have since Maradona fled Italy in disgrace in the early 1990s.
Luciano Spalletti’s side are still unbeaten and have netted 50 times in all competitions, and are starting to look like the real deal, a team that could end Naples’ 32-year wait for the league title.
They currently have a six-point lead over champions AC Milan, who will travel to face Torino on Sunday.
This article was most recently revised and updated 7 months ago
