By Le Figaro with AFP
Published yesterday at 8:42 p.m., Updated yesterday at 11:15 p.m.
Victor Osimhen and his comrades continue in front of their audience. CIRO DE LUCA / REUTERS
The Italian champions had not won at home in the league since September 27, under Rudi Garcia.
After two and a half months of waiting, Naples signed its first home victory in the Italian championship by defeating Cagliari 2 to 1 on Saturday during the 16th day of Serie A. The reigning Italian champion, already victorious in front of his audience on Tuesday in the Champions League against Braga (2-0), for the first time this season he won two victories in a row at the Diego-Armando-Maradona stadium. Their last home victory in the league dates back to September 27 (4-1 against Udinese) when the Neapolitans were still coached by Rudi Garcia.
Thanks to this success, celebrated loudly by its supporters, Naples temporarily moved up from 6th to 4th place in the standings, with 27 points, eleven lengths behind the leader, Inter Milan, who faces Lazio on Sunday in Rome.
Osimhen as savior
On Saturday, against promoted Cagliari, Walter Mazzarri’s players dominated, but they still lacked realism, particularly in the first half. Victor Osimhen, with a header, gave Napoli the advantage in the 69th minute, but Cagliari immediately reacted and equalized (72nd) thanks to Leonardo Pavoletti. It was again Osimhen who got Naples out of its bad situation: the Nigerian, elected at the start of the week best African player 2023 and who could extend his contract by the end of the year, slalomed through the Sardinian defense to serve at the far post Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, who gave Naples the advantage (75th).
«It was essential that we win this match at home. We had a good match, but we had to fight until the end, because Cagliari gave us a lot of problems“, declared Napoli striker Matteo Politano on the DAZN platform. “The new coach tried to bring enthusiasm, which we lacked a little before (…) We must continue like this. In our eyes, we are still in the title race, we will fight until the end, we owe it to our supportershe continued. This match was very important, added his coach. We had to get out of this negative spiral at home: a reigning champion cannot not win in front of his audience».
Cagliari remains 16th with 13 points, one more than the first relegation (18th), Empoli, beaten by Torino (1-0) on Saturday. Cagliari’s next two matches will pit it against two direct rivals for maintenance, Verona and Empoli.
