Napoli-Fiorentina 1-0: the Azzurri also win on the day of the Scudetto celebration, Osimhen decides on a penalty

NAPLES – Minus one. Napoli also beat Fiorentina (1-0) at the Maradona stadium and now in Serie A Inter are the only team not to have raised the white flag this season in front of Luciano Spalletti’s team. The Fuorigrotta celebration for the conquest of the Scudetto was made even sweeter by Victor Osimhen’s 27th goal of the season, which decided the match from the penalty spot in the second half. But it was above all the 50,000 in the stands that made the show unforgettable.

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There was also a match and the electrifying atmosphere of Maradona put wings on the feet of the two teams, who immediately started strong and looked decisively for the way to goal, going close to the target with a header from Jovic on one side and a low shot by Elmas on the other. But the experimental formation chosen by Spalletti (five changes and transition to the 4-2-3-1 formation) deprived Napoli of its usual balance, already forced to deal with the tiredness and pleasant chaos of the past few days. Instead, the Italian showed up on the pitch with almost the best Fiorentina (out the injured Cabral) and took the opportunity to seize the initiative, asking his players to go more decisively in search of the advantage. The two goals scored in rapid succession by Jovic (15′ and 18′) were therefore not accidental, but he was hypnotized on both occasions by goalkeeper Gollini, who was preferred to Meret on the occasion. The difficulties in the middle of the Azzurri’s field are evident, with Demme narrow-gauge and Anguissa too often left outnumbered. Only towards the end of the first half did the challenge become more balanced and there were two chances for Di Lorenzo (33′, save by Terracciano) and Osimhen. A few moments before the interval, Lozano was injured and Kvaratskhelia came on in his place, initially resting on the bench.

But the music for Napoli really changed at the start of the second half, when Spalletti redesigned his team with the return to 4-3-3 and the additions of Zielinski and Lobotka. Above all, the Slovakian playmaker had an excellent impact on the match, immediately stealing the ball in pressing in Amrabat and forcing him to a penalty foul. However, Osimhen presented himself with little conviction on the penalty spot, whose slow and fairly central shot (3′) was easily rejected by Terracciano. Fiorentina’s response was a long possession, aimed at keeping the pace of the game down. The Azzurri were therefore forced to focus above all on counterattacks and only around the quarter of an hour did an inviting passage open up for Olivera, who however busted the cross a stone’s throw from Terracciano. Then Osimhen won a strong duel with Milenkovic and hit the crossbar with a lob: an action however thwarted by a previous foul (called late). Italiano sensed the danger and reinforced his moorings in midfield with the entrances of Castrovilli and Mandragora. All useless, because a serpentine by Kvaratskhelia was interrupted by another foul in the area by Gonzalez and the referee Marchetti pointed to the spot again. Attempt for the courageous Osimhen, who this time (29 ‘) wrongfooted Terracciano with his right foot and then gave way to Cholito Simeone, applauded from the grandstand by his father Diego, a guest in the VIP sector of the Aurelio De Laurentiis stadium. Maradona returned to a bedlam and took the field virtually in the final alongside the exhausted Italian champions. Kouame had the big chance to equalize (42’) and missed it by raising his lob too much. Too little to ruin the Fuorigrotta party.

Napoli beats Fiorentina 1-0 (0-0).
Naples (4-3-3): Gollini; DiLorenzo, Ostigard, Kim, Olivera; Anguissa, Demme (1′ st Lobotka), Elmas (38′ st Zerbin); Lozano (45′ pt Kvaratskhelia), Osimhen (32′ st Simeone), Raspadori (1′ st Zielinski). All.: Spalletti.
Fiorentina (4-1-4-1): Terracciano; Dodò (1st Venuti), Milenkovic, Julio, Terzic; Amrabat (30′ st Saponara); Gonzalez, Bonaventura (21′ st Mandragora), Duncan (21′ st Castrovilli), Sottil (30′ st Kouamè); Jovic. All.: Italian.
Referee: Marchetti of Ostia.
Networks: in st 28′ Osimhen (rig).
Corners: 5-0 for Fiorentina.
Recovery: 1′ and 3′.
Spectators: 55 thousand.