33 years after Diego Maradona led Napoli, the Scudetto will finally return to Naples, and it all came down to Victor Osimhen’s 22nd league goal.
When Luciano Spalletti needed one of his players to step up, it was the Capocannoniere-elect Osimhen to slot home coolly from within the box. Napoli were down 1-0 after Sandi Lovric’s 13th-minute goal and looked nothing like the effervescent Napoli team that had swept all before them in Italy.
Napoli understood the need to escape capture. With five games remaining in the season, second-placed Lazio is stranded on 64 points due to their total of 80 points from 33 games.
Naples was able to throw the celebration they had been wanting since 1990, even if the spectacle was not as stunning as the season’s opening.
As the Scudetto loomed, Napoli had only scored three goals in their previous four games and seemed a little weary, but the man in the mask eventually delivered. Osimhen now has 22 goals, but Lautaro Martinez of Inter Milan is vying for the Capocannoniere honour, so he still needs to be guaranteed to win.
In lieu of Piotr Zielinski in midfield and Eljif Elmas in place of Hirving Lozano on the right wing, respectively, Spalletti started the game, but the flow was off.
Napoli supporters from several cities flooded the Dacia Arena after referee Rosario Abiss blew the final whistle. Some of them entered the pitch, taking pieces of the grass, while others engaged the players in combat for items like shirts and other uniform components.
Well, the wait is over. Osimhen has guided Napoli to their first championship in 33 years and is on pace to take home the accolade for a top goal scorer.
