Emilian advantage with Racic, then the flood: equal to Rrahmani before the Calzona jewels show. And Juventus arrives at Maradona on Sunday
– Reggio Emilia
Maybe it’s too late, maybe the gap from the Champions League will be impossible to bridge, but in the meantime Napoli is back. And not only for the resounding 6-1 with which he humiliated an increasingly fragile Sassuolo and in the middle of the relegation zone: at the Mapei Stadium the Italian champion team was seen again, the one that dominated and entertained, that built with the full-backs and he exalted with the attackers. Osimhen (hat-trick with assist) and Kvaratskhelia (double and assist) are back, and with the goal twins embracing and smiling again, who knows whether Calzona will succeed in the feat of truly getting back into the running for the noblest of Europe. But in the meantime, the third coach of the season transformed Napoli in a week, rediscovering old automatisms and fun geometries. And on Sunday Juve arrives at Maradona, the real test of the 9.
Sassuolo illusion
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Napoli had never done so many actions in one half before. And perhaps not even adding up all the away games in the last two months, where between Bergamo and Cagliari (25 November-25 February) he hadn’t even scored again. Osimhen broke the curse in Cagliari, but it wasn’t enough. But he got unstuck, he and Napoli. At the Mapei, Napoli dominates for the entire first half, yet manages to go under the opponent’s first and only shot, in the 17th minute: Racic invents a long-range shot of rare precision and beauty and seems to send Napoli to hell. But the Azzurri don’t get nervous, they continue to play ball on the ground, to close the opponent in their own area. The equalizer came in the 29th minute with Rrahmani – central defender – at the end of a prolonged dribble from left to right, with Di Lorenzo passing in for Anguissa who backheeled it behind for Rrahmani, who had initiated the action on Di Lorenzo and went to discharge into the goal diagonally.
super osimhen
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It is the spark that uncorks Napoli, which returns to being Napoli like never before in the season. Two minutes later, again from the right, the second goal arrives: this time Di Lorenzo’s corridor is for Politano, touch in the middle and lethal deflection by Osimhen. Napoli are overflowing, Sassuolo struggles to get out of the area and when they do, Kvara from midfield almost surprises Consigli outside the posts. Osimhen (40′) shoots out into an empty net but makes up for it a minute later, again at Politano’s invitation: this time he touches down to overcome Consigli and 3-1 Napoli. Before the break the Emilian goalkeeper saved Kvara with his foot.
double joy
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But the 4-1 came at the start of the second half, thanks to Tressoldi’s incredible naivety when disengaging. Kvara intercepts and serves to Osimhen who scores the hat-trick, with a dedication to the Georgian: has the diplomatic crisis resolved after the words of Khvicha’s agent? Certainly, Kvara is now well and also finds personal joy in the 6th minute of the second half: Osimhen sends him into the open field, he centralizes, makes a couple of feints and then places a shot at the long post. It’s pouring in Sassuolo and not just because of the water that comes in copious amounts from the sky. Bigica’s debut is bordering on tragic, with department errors and individual horrors. Politano comes close to scoring a sixth goal in the 16th minute, then leaves the field for Raspadori. At that point Calzona also calls Rrahmani (suspended) back to the bench and brings in Natan: Juve are there on Sunday, better to avoid risks.
blue avalanche
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But Napoli doesn’t stop, they continue to build as if they needed – for once – to vent months of frustrations and disappointments. And Kvara closes the set again, from a corner action. First he kicks powerfully on the fly, then on the rebound – with his left foot – he strikes Consigli with lightning. The home fans protest, the blue ones – who sang incessantly throughout the match – enjoy an evening that smacks of the recent past. Next will be the month of truth: Juve, Torino and Atalanta at Maradona, Inter at San Siro after the second leg of the Champions League round of 16. Napoli’s season could really start now: better late than never.
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