Napoli coach Luciano Spalletti believes Victor Osimhen can still improve after his wonder-strike to defeat Roma. ‘Once he gets his emotions sorted out, he will become extraordinary.’
The Partenopei seem unstoppable at the moment, notching up an 11th consecutive victory in all competitions, something the club only achieved once under Ottavio Bianchi from April to September 1986, but this is the first time they’ve done it in a single campaign.
Osimhen scored the breakthrough with a stunning strike from an improbable angle, but it was the culmination of a game that saw Napoli have five shots on target to zero and 61 per cent possession.
“Osimhen has these sudden changes of pace that only he can do. When he gets his emotions sorted out, he will become extraordinary.
“At times he tries to do everything himself, attacks the ball and the goal without realising where his teammates are. But he is physical, he is strong and we need him to complete the squad, also in the air.
“He is one of the best headers of the ball I have ever seen. We didn’t give him as much service last season, but he was also decisive when defending on set plays and resolving a lot of issues for us there,” he said.
Napoli are a very prolific side, but also showed their solidity in defence and kept Roma extremely quiet with another excellent Kim Min-jae performance.
“When there’s a sense of danger, Kim is so alert, so quick to step up and take control of the situation. He keeps an eye on everything and everyone, so it’s more than just his physicality.”