Runaway Serie A leaders Napoli ran riot at the Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino on Sunday afternoon, dismantling mid-table Torino 4-0. It was another superb display from the Partenopei as they’ve temporarily moved 21 points clear of second-placed Inter.
Standout striker Victor Osimhen picked up where he left off in a 3-0 demolition of Eintracht Frankfurt in midweek Champions League action to get Napoli off to a flying start in Turin. The Nigerian superstar outjumped his man to head home an inch-perfect corner-kick delivery from Piotr Zielinski in the ninth minute.
Osimhen’s first goal in three Serie A appearances was seemingly a wake-up call for Ivan Juric’s side. Having found themselves down early, Torino started pushing forward in numbers seeking an all-important equalizer. Headline performer Antonio Sanabria came agonizingly close to helping his team get things back to square one in the 23rd minute.
The in-form frontman latched onto the rebound inside the six-yard box after Napoli goalkeeper Alex Meret spilled the ball but could only hit the right post. Unfortunately for Juric, his men failed to establish sustained pressure in the visitors’ third as Napoli regained control of the proceedings for the rest of the first half.
Torino’s position in the game soon went from bad to worse as Karol Linetty tackled Khvicha Kvaratskhelia down to the ground inside the penalty area. Referee Matteo Marchetti immediately pointed to the spot. The Georgian winger took it upon himself to take the penalty and made no mistake, firing Napoli 2-0 up in the 35th minute.
Napoli nearly tripled their lead moments later through Osimhen, but Vanja Milinkovic-Savic pulled off a vital stop to deny the Nigerian’s thunderbolt from the edge of the box. Indeed, the Serbian shot-stopper was the only reason the Partenopei didn’t enter halftime with a more comprehensive advantage.
The second half began in the same fashion as Osimhen put the match beyond doubt with his second of the day. Mathias Olivera picked the 24-year-old out with a sublime cross on the far post, with the free-scoring frontman heading home from point-blank to add to Torino’s misery. Juric immediately reached out to his bench trying to shake his team up with a triple change.
The substitutions didn’t pay off, though, as Napoli grabbed the fourth midway through the second half. Osimhen won back possession deep inside Torino’s third before Kvaratskhelia set second-half substitution Tanguy Ndombele up on a silver platter. The Frenchman converted a clear-cut chance through the legs of Milinkovic-Savic.
The rest of the game was smooth sailing for Napoli as Torino failed to create anything meaningful in the front third. Luciano Spalletti slowed the proceedings down with a series of substitutions, enabling his side to save energy and still hold the Granata at bay.
And while Napoli furthered their Scudetto case, Torino’s effort to secure a top-half finish took a blow after back-to-back league wins over Lecce and Bologna.
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