Unstoppable Azzurri: Osimhen, Zielinski and Elmas on the net. In the final the Friulians shorten with Nestorovski and Samardzic, but that’s not enough
The Naples beats 3-2 IUdinese and hits the eleventh consecutive victory in Serie A in the last game before the break for the World Cup, further consolidating the top of the standings. The first half is enough for Spalletti’s boys to direct the match with goals from Osimhen (15′) and Zielinsky (31′). He thinks about it in the second half Diamond to round off the score (58′). When everything seems calm, the networks of Nestorovsky (79′) and Samardzic (82′), but it’s too late for the Friulians.
THE MATCH
The car of Spalletti he never stops and after 10 praise also arrives on the report card, albeit with some worries. The final declinefruit more of an excessive relaxation than of shortness of breath, will infuriate the technician, but does not change the substance: the first part of the season ends with 41 points after 15 daysa record average (in projection they make 104). Now is not the time to think about the stop and what it can or cannot take away in terms of positive inertia. Now it’s time to enjoy an almost perfect teamwho keeps looking down on everyone. For Sottil, however, the complicated period continues: victory has now been missing since 3 October and the I’m in Deulofeu worries, even if the Spaniard has a month and a half to recover.
Following the requests of his coach in the press conference, Napoli starts strong trying to “tear” the match. However, Udinese compacted very well, withstood the initial impact and tried to restart on the counterattack, mainly exploiting the hybrid position of Deulofeuwhich in the 8th minute forces Meret to one super intervention on his nice heel strike. However, the Neapolitans remain masters of the game and in exactly fifteen minutes they unlock it: a cross brushed by Diamondwinning header by a relentless Osimhenlost by a revisable Bijol to say the least. On 24′ the frozen shower arrives for Sottilinjury to Deulofeucoming out of the field in tearslimping, after an unnatural twist of the knee. Sottil’s boys try to show themselves forward, but in the 31st minute they are punished by a perfect counterattack: Osimhen’s ball defense is textbook, back-heel for Lozano fishing Zielinsky on the other side, a right-footed shot by the Pole that scores 2-0.
The Friulians begin the second half with the desire to reopen it, they scare Meret a couple of times, but still capitulate on the counterattack in the quarter of an hour: splendid deep ball from Anguissa for Diamondwho drinks Bijol and stabs Silvestri for the third time. Immediately afterwards the Macedonian goes close to 4-0 and his personal double, but finds the answer from the Juventus goalkeeper, who also pays attention to Osimhen a few minutes later. With the result in ice Napoli is sitting on its laurels a bit and 10′ from the end he collects the goal of Nestorovskywith a great conclusion on the fly at the invitation of Success. Two minutes go by and, on Kim’s resounding levity, theincredible 3-2 with a great shot from Samardzic. The “Maradona” holds his breath until the fifth minute of added time, then he can explode with joy.
REPORT CARDS
Osimhen 7.5 – First the goal, then the counterattack which leads to the double. Another test as absolute leader, increasingly top scorer in the championship.
Diamond 7.5 – He won’t have the highlights of Kvaratskhelia, but he certainly won’t regret it. Assists, goals, and another performance to frame after that of Bergamo.
Kim 5.5 – Almost 80′ of perfection, then the sudden and unexpected mental decline. Unforgivable lightness on Samardzic’s goal, which condemns him to a final with his heart in his throat.
Deulofeu 6.5 – In the first 15-20′ Udinese plays the match well and scares Napoli mainly thanks to their position between the lines and their unpredictability. His knockout costs dearly for the continuation of the match.
Biol 4.5 – Physically dominated by Osimhen both on the 1-0 goal and on the occasion of the counterattack that leads to 2-0. Drunk by Elmas on 3-0. Afternoon to forget.
Pereyra 5 – Nervous and inaccurate. It is difficult to concentrate and find the position where it can hurt the most.
THE TABLE
Napoli-Udinese 3-2
Naples (4-3-3): Meret 6; Di Lorenzo 6.5, Kim 5.5, John Jesus 6.5 (15′ st Ostigard 6), Olivera 6.5; Anguilla 6.5, Lobotka 6.5, Zielinski 7 (22′ st Ndombele 6); Lozano 6.5 (15′ st Politano 6), Osimhen 7.5, Elmas 7.5.
TrainerSpalletti 7
Udinese (3-5-2): New Year 6; Perez 5.5, Bijol 4.5, Ebosse 5.5; Ehizibue 5, Lovric 6, Walace 5 (26′ st Jajalo 6), Arslan 5.5 (11′ st Samardzic 6.5), Pereyra 5; Deulofeu 6.5 (25′ Success 6), Beto 5.5 (26′ st Nestorovski 6.5).
Trainer: Thin 5.5
Referee: Separated
Markers: 15′ Osimhen (N), 31′ Zielinski (N), 13′ st Elmas (N), 34′ st Nestorovski (U), 37′ st Samardzic (U)
Ammonite yourself: Juan Jesus (N), Wallace (U), Pereyra (U), Mario Rui (N), Ebosse (U)
Expelled:
THE STATISTICS
– Napoli becomes the second team in history able to win at least 13 of the first 15 matches in a Serie A championship, after Juventus (which succeeded four times, 2018/19, 2013/14, 2005/06 and 1949 /50).
– Calibrating the entire Serie A on three points for a win, this is the fourth time that a team has exceeded 40 points in the first 15 games played in a championship: the other Juventus 18/19 (43), Juventus 05/06 (42 ) and Juventus 49/50 (41).
– Napoli have achieved 11 wins in a row for the first time in the same Serie A championship.
– Napoli have won 17 of their last 19 Serie A matches (D2) and scored 50 goals in this set.
– This is the first Serie A match in which two different Macedonians have scored: Elmas and Nestorovski.
– Victor Osimhen has scored 7 goals in Serie A since the beginning of October: in the top five European leagues, in this period, only Nkunku (8) has done better.
– Only Harry Kane (9) has scored more header goals than Victor Osimhen (8) in the 2022 calendar year in the top five European leagues.
– Four goals in four Serie A matches for Osimhen against Udinese: against no team he has scored more in the competition (four goals also against Sassuolo).
– Napoli is – on a par with Tottenham – the team that has scored the most header goals in the top European leagues 22/23 (nine).
– Only Milinkovic-Savic (10) and Barella (10) have participated in more goals among midfielders than Piotr Zielinski in this Serie A season (8, thanks to three goals and five assists).
– For the first time in Serie A, Elmas has scored a goal and provided an assist in the same match; the Macedonian player has already equaled his record for goals (3) in an entire Serie A season in 14 appearances in this tournament.
– For the first time in Serie A, Hirving Lozano provided a winning assist in two consecutive league games.
– In eight of the last 10 Serie A matches, Udinese have gone behind (in the other two of this period they have not scored or conceded a goal).
– Udinese have conceded 12 goals in the first half, in 15 games, only Sampdoria (15) and Cremonese (14) count for more this Serie A season.
– It was since October 2021 that Udinese (D5, L2) had not played seven games in a row without winning in Serie A (eight in that case).
– Udinese hadn’t conceded at least three goals in a Serie A match since the first matchday against Milan
– Goal number 18 in Serie A for Ilija Nestorovski, in his 100th appearance (this is the second in Naples against Napoli in his career).
– Lazar Samardzic is the youngest player to have scored at least three goals in this championship: he has already surpassed the tally of the entire last Serie A (two in 22 games) now (14 appearances).
