Victor Osimhen scored a hat trick, leading Napoli to a 6-1 victory over struggling Sassuolo in Serie A on Wednesday.
This win marked Napoli’s first triumph under caretaker coach Francesco Calzona, who took over last week after Walter Mazzarri was sacked. Napoli, after a string of four winless league matches, secured a much-needed victory.
Napoli went into the match with 28 points less than they had at the same stage last season, making it their worst performance as defending champions in Italian football history.
Sassuolo, the home team, surprisingly took the lead in the 17th minute when midfielder Uros Racic capitalized on a poor clearance and scored with a low shot into the corner of the net.
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However, Napoli fought back strongly. Defender Amir Rrahmani equalized, and then striker Osimhen scored two goals, putting Napoli ahead 3-1 by halftime. Osimhen completed his hat trick early in the second half, and winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia added two more goals to seal the victory in a dominant performance.
Rrahmani scored the equalizer for Napoli in the 29th minute with a powerful low shot past Sassuolo goalkeeper Andrea Consigli. He received a delightful flick from Cameroon midfielder André-Frank Zambo Anguissa before scoring.
Just two minutes later, Osimhen put Napoli ahead. Di Lorenzo provided another excellent pass into the area, and Matteo Politano set up the Nigerian striker with a clever backheel. Osimhen extended Napoli’s lead to 3-1 just before half-time by chipping the goalkeeper after another cross from Politano.
In the second half, Napoli continued to dominate, and Osimhen completed his hat trick to make it 4-1 after a defensive error by Sassuolo.
With his 11th league goal this season, Osimhen joined elite company, becoming only the third Napoli player to score double-digit goals in four consecutive campaigns, following Diego Maradona and Attila Sallustro. Kvaratskhelia extended Napoli’s lead to 5-1 with a solo run in the 51st minute before sealing the victory with a stunning shot on a rebound 15 minutes from time.
Sassuolo, who recently sacked coach Alessio Dionisi after their seventh loss in 10 league games, currently sit 18th in the standings with 20 points. They, along with Salernitana, are the only teams yet to secure a win in the second part of the 2023-24 Serie A season.
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