Napoli guaranteed their place in the Knockout Phase of the UEFA Champions League with a 4-2 victory over Ajax on Wednesday. With goals from Hirving Lozano, Giacomo Raspadori, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Victor Osimhen, the Partenopei lead all Champions League clubs with 17 goals scored. Here are three takeaways selected by Forza Napoli Press.
Best of the Best
With the win, Napoli and Bayern Munich are the only teams remaining with a perfect record in the Group Stage. The four goals increased the Partenopei’s goal tally to 17 (or 4.5 goals per match), which is already a club record. Even with Liverpool’s 1-7 victory over Rangers, Napoli have the most goals scored (17) and the best goal differential (13) of any club in the competition.
Giacomo Raspadori scored his fourth goal of the group stage. With Napoli’s second goal on the night, the 22-year-old joined Fabrizio Ravanelli and Alessandro Del Pierro as the only Italians to score in each of their first three Champions League matches. Raspadori has been the most efficient attacking player in the competition, averaging a goal every 31 minutes and 45 seconds – better than Erling Haaland (41’), Mohammed Salah (53’), Robert Lewandowski (72’) and Leroy Sane (73’). It should be noted, however, that Raspadori has played the fewest total minutes (127) of the five most efficient players.
Next Man Up
Under the leadership of Cristiano Giuntoli, Napoli have built one of the deepest squads in club history. That depth allowed Gli Azzurri to overcome Victor Osimhen’s injury without dropping a single point – Giacomo Raspadori and Giovanni Simeone combined to score nine goals during Osimhen’s absence.
With Amir Rrahmani out until 2023, Juan Jesus got his first start of the season. Though he conceded a penalty kick in the second half – a rather soft one at that – Jesus was otherwise solid. He made two important blocks in the first half, limiting Ajax to only one shot on target in seven attempts.
That depth will be further relied upon for the balance of the calendar year. André-Frank Zambo Anguissa was forced to exit the match early in the second half with a thigh injury. Anguissa was replaced by Tanguy Ndombele, who may need to cover for Anguissa until he returns. Eljif Elmas and Gianluca Gaetano are also options in the midfield. Alternatively, Spalletti could switch back to the 4-2-3-1 with two of Ndombele, Piotr Zielinski and Stanislav Lobotka in the pivot, Raspadori in the #10 and a healthy Osimhen back at striker.
Osimhen is Still the #9
In the 50th minute, Victor Osimhen made his return from a thigh muscle injury that sidelined him for over a month. Though his timing was slightly off – he had a couple of goals (correctly) chalked off for offside – Osimhen picked up right where he left off.
The Nigerian played with the intensity of a player who was desperate to join the goal-scoring party. In the 89th minute, Osimhen scored a goal that only he is capable of scoring. Victor used his blistering pace to close down a startled Daley Blind before rolling the ball into the empty goal.
Osimhen had the opportunity to score his first of the competition about half an hour prior, after Tanguy Ndombele’s shot was blocked by the hand of Jurrien Timber in the area. Instead, Osimhen demonstrated that he has the leadership qualities Spalletti expects of him, insisting that Kvaratskhelia take the penalty kick. The Georgian lashed the ball into the top corner to score what would eventually be the game-winner.
The thought of eventually selling Victor looks and feels navigable, which was not the case a few months ago.