Super Eagles forward Victor Osimhen followed up his strike against Ajax Amsterdam in the UEFA Champions League with the match winner in Napoli’s hard fought 3-2 victory over a resilient Bologna yesterday.
The Partenopeans were looking to claim a tenth consecutive victory in all competitions when they welcomed Serie A strugglers Bologna to the Stadio Diego Maradona.
As part of precautionary measures, Nigerian talisman Osimhen had to start from the bench for the second consecutive game to prevent an injury relapse as he was thrown into the fray in the second half with scores 1-1 after Joshua Zirkzee gave Bologna the lead while Juan Jesus equalized.
Further goals from Napoli’s Hirving Lozano and Bologna’s Musa Barrow kept the game level before Georgian wonder kid Khvicha Kvaratshkelia spread a pass onto the path of Osimhen, who reacted quickly under pressure from a defender and skillfully chipped the ball into an empty net.
Elsewhere in France, winger Moses Simon helped Nantes end their five game losing streak as he scored in their 4-1 victory over Stade Brestois 29 at the Stade de la Beaujoire – Louis Fonteneau yesterday.
Simon has been involved in five of the Yellow Canaries’ 13 league goals this season, scoring four goals and assisting one and also ended his six-game goal drought with a well dispatched penalty in the 35 to bring the home side level after Noah Fadiga had given Brest the lead in the 18th minute.
Meanwhile, in Italy’s Serie A, Cyriel Dessers scored his second consecutive goal for Cremonese, scoring in the first minute, to help them secure a 2-2 draw at Spezia.
However, Spezia pulled one back in the 17th minute through M’Bala Nzola. The little Eagles then got in front through Emil Holm.
The Grigiorossi then restored parity in the 52nd minute through Charles Pickel. Dessers could have gotten his second of the game a few minutes later, but his header just drifted wide.