10-man Napoli defeat Empoli to move 18 points clear

• The Empoli vs Napoli match ended in a 2-0 victory for the Serie A giants who are now 18 points clear on top of the table
• Victor Osimhen, who has now scored in eight consecutive Serie A games, became the first player to do so since Cristiano Ronaldo in 2019-20 season

The Empoli vs Napoli match ended in a 2-0 victory for the Serie A giants who have now moved 18 points clear on top of the table.

Napoli took the lead in the 17th minute, thanks to an own goal by Empoli defender Ardian Ismajli. Victor Osimhen doubled Napoli’s lead in the 28th minute to ensure his side was cruising to a comfortable win over the mid-table team.

Napoli defeated Napoli 2-0 on Saturday night. Photo/ Total Italian Football.

Portugal left-back Mario Rui was sent off in the second half but Napoli held on to win the match 2-0. Inter Milan, who face Bologna this Sunday, could reduce Napoli’s lead of 18 points if they win their match.

Victor Osimhen, who has now scored in eight consecutive Serie A games, became the first player to do so since Cristiano Ronaldo in 2019-20 season. The Portugal international scored in eleven league matches for Juventus.

How The Game Unfolded 

Despite losing just one Serie A match since the start of 2023, mid-table Empoli were in for a big task playing against league leaders Napoli. The Naples were on an impressive seven-game win streak in the Serie A and were looking for another win to increase their hopes of winning their title before the end of the season.

Well, it didn’t take long before they opened the scoring at the Stadio Carlo Castellani. It was a disappointing moment for centre-back Ardian Ismajli, who turned Piotr Zielenski’s cross intro his own net.

Napoli winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia sent a lofted pass to Piotr Zielinski who tried to cross the ball to Victor Osimhen in the box. The cross failed to reach the Nigerian striker but Ismajli could not help but put his side in a tough spot with the one-goal deficit.

Empoli had the chance to equalize three minutes later but goalkeeper Alex Meret was in a good position to stop midfielder Liam Henderson’s shot.

Victor Osimhen doubled Napoli’s in the 28th minute, tapping in a rebound from close range. This was after Empoli goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario punched Kvaratskhelia’s shot right into the striker’s path.

Victor Osimhen celebrates after scoring in the Empoli-Napoli fixture. Photo/ ESPN.

Victor Osimhen scored another goal in the 60th minute but the acrobatic effort was ruled out for offside. Napoli defender Mario Rui received a red card barely seven minutes later for fouling Empoli forward Francesco Caputo.

In the Empoli vs Napoli fixture last season, Empoli staged a brilliant second half comeback from 2-0 down to win 3-2. However, that was not the case this time round as 10-man Napoli held on to their lead firmly.

Napoli have so far scored 58 Serie A goals and conceded just 15 all season. Their next Serie A match will be against Lazio on Friday. Meanwhile, Empoli will travel to Monza on Saturday.