Victor Osimhen, the prolific Super Eagles striker, showcased his talent by scoring a hat-trick to lead Napoli to a resounding 6-1 victory over Sassuolo in the Italian Serie A clash at the Stadio Città del Tricolore on Wednesday evening.
The match started on a shaky note for Napoli as Uroš Račić of Sassuolo netted the opening goal 17 minutes into the game, initially putting the visitors on the back foot. However, Napoli quickly regrouped, and Amir Rrahmani leveled the scoreline in the 29th minute.
Osimhen then stole the spotlight, scoring his first goal just two minutes after Rrahmani’s equalizer. Demonstrating his hunger for more, Osimhen found the back of the net again ten minutes later, before completing his hat-trick in the 47th minute. His teammate Khvicha Kvaratskhelia further extended Napoli’s lead with two more goals in the 51st and 75th minutes, sealing the emphatic 6-1 victory.
Napoli, currently occupying the ninth position in the Serie A standings with 40 points from 26 matches, are still in the race for a European qualification spot. Despite being 26 points behind league leaders Inter, Napoli are only six points adrift of fifth-placed Atalanta, who hold the Europa League qualification position. However, they face stiff competition from Roma, Fiorentina, and Lazio, who are just ahead of them in the standings.
Meanwhile, Sassuolo’s defeat sees them drop into the relegation zone after suffering their sixth loss in seven matches. This loss marks the first defeat under their new manager, Emiliano Bigica, who took over following the dismissal of Alessio Dionisi.
Osimhen’s remarkable performance comes after his return to Napoli from the Africa Cup of Nations, where he played a pivotal role in helping Nigeria secure second place. Despite experiencing a goal drought during the tournament, Osimhen has now scored five goals in three games since rejoining Napoli, reaffirming his status as one of the team’s key players.