Victor Osimhen’s hat-trick and a Kvicha Kvaratskhelia double propelled Napoli to a commanding 6-1 victory over Sassuolo. This marked Francesco Calzona’s inaugural win and a challenging debut for Emiliano Bigica. Sassuolo, led by interim coach Bigica, faced setbacks with missing players but witnessed Osimhen’s prowess. Calzona, seeking his first win, succeeded after previous draws with Barcelona and Cagliari. Hamed Junior Traore showcased his skills early on, and Osimhen’s potential goal was thwarted by a crucial block from Gian Marco Ferrari.
Sassuolo unexpectedly took the lead with a skillful sequence initiated by Uros Racic. After an acrobatic attempt by Andrea Pinamonti, Racic capitalized on the rebound with a remarkable shot that curved around Alex Meret into the far bottom corner.
Osimhen narrowly missed a shot over the bar from a challenging angle, but Napoli swiftly equalized. A cohesive team effort saw Di Lorenzo setting up Andre Frank Zambo Anguissa, whose clever back-heel flick enabled defender Amir Rrahmani to finish from 10 yards.
In less than two minutes, Napoli completely turned the tide. Di Lorenzo orchestrated another play down the right, this time involving Matteo Politano, who delivered a precise ball for Osimhen to convert seamlessly from seven yards.
In a remarkable turnaround within 120 seconds, Napoli seized control. Di Lorenzo orchestrated another attack down the right, involving Matteo Politano, who set up Osimhen for a first-time finish from seven yards.
Kvicha Kvaratskhelia noticed Andrea Consigli off his line and attempted a bold lob from the center circle, narrowly missing. In the process, Consigli accidentally dislodged the net, requiring collaboration between the goalkeeper, Osimhen, and staff to tape it back up.
Resuming play, Napoli secured a third goal. Matheus Henrique lost possession in midfield, and a precise Politano pass allowed Osimhen to exploit the offside trap, eluding Consigli.
Traore sent Kvaratskhelia down the left, resulting in Consigli parrying at the near post with his legs.
Osimhen completed his hat-trick immediately after the restart due to defensive errors, with Ruan Tressoldi’s attempt to play out from the back intercepted by Kvaratskhelia, who set up Osimhen for a simple tap-in.
Since returning from Afcon, Osimhen has showcased impressive form with five goals and one assists in three games.
Sassuolo experienced a collapse, leading to Napoli’s fifth goal shortly after another defensive mistake. Kvaratskhelia sprinted down the left, cut inside, and skillfully curled a right-footed shot into the far corner from just inside the box.
Giacomo Raspadori’s cushioned volley, from a Kvaratskhelia cross, went straight at Consigli. However, Kvaratskhelia secured another goal when a corner flicked onto him, the initial attempt blocked, and he emphatically smashed the second into the roof of the net.