Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen scored and had another goal ruled out as offside as Napoli dominated the Champions League Round of 16 ties against Eintracht Frankfurt on Tuesday night.
It was Osimhen’s 20th goal in 24 appearances this season with Napoli — also including 7 consecutive goals in Serie A for the first time in the history of the club.
The Partenopei now have one foot in the quarter-final after the 2-0 victory at the Deutsche Bank Park, sealed by Osimhen and Giovanni Di Lorenzo, while Kvicha Kvaratskhelia also saw his penalty saved by Kevin Trapp.
Napoli started the game on the right footing after Chucky Lozano thumped a low drive off the base of the upright and Osimhen chased down the loose ball, quicker than Aurelio Buta had realised, so the defender went to clear and instead kicked the Nigerian on the knee for a penalty.
Kvaratskhelia stepped up, but Trapp saved the spot-kick. Incredibly, that is the third penalty Napoli has failed to convert in the Champions League this season.
The deadlock was broken soon after, as Stanislav Lobotka intercepted a pass in midfield and sent Lozano down the right, rolling across for Osimhen to tap in from four yards in the 40th minute.
Napoli scored a practically identical goal moments later, but this time Osimhen started the run just too early and was offside on the Lozano assist.
After the restart, Lozano twice got away down the right only to make the wrong choice of pass or shoot straight at Trapp, and then Kvaratskhelia was denied one-on-one by the goalkeeper after Eintracht had given it away cheaply.
Napoli was dominating and wasting chances, but the hosts went down to 10 men after the referee opted for a straight red card on Kolo Muani. The striker went in late and caught Andre Frank Zambo Anguissa on the ankle, but it seemed a harsh decision, as they both went for the ball. It also means Eintracht’s top scorer will be suspended for the second leg.
They took full advantage with a beautifully-worked goal, Kvaratskhelia’s back-heel flick assist for Giovanni Di Lorenzo to bend it first-time into the far bottom corner from just inside the box.
Anguissa was inches away from adding a third after a give-and-go with Zielinski, despite being on the ground at the time, while Kamada and Osimhen fired straight at the goalkeepers.
Giovanni Simeone nodded Di Lorenzo’s cross into the arms of Trapp, as Napoli pushed to the end for another goal.
