Osimhen wins penalty but Ronaldo helps Juventus beat Napoli in Serie A

Taiye Taiwo

Osimhen wins penalty but Ronaldo helps Juventus beat Napoli in Serie A image

Victor Osimhen won a penalty that helped Napoli score their only goal in the 2-1 defeat to Juventus in Wednesday's Serie A match.

After scoring a goal against Crotone on Saturday, the Nigeria international could not add to his tally of four league goals after 15 appearances so far this season but he made a key contribution for the visitors.

Cristiano Ronaldo opened the scoring for Juventus with his 13th-minute effort while Paulo Dybala doubled the lead in the 73rd minute.

Osimhen was later introduced for Diego Demme in the 54th minute, and he was brought down by Giorgio Chiellini in the penalty area on the stroke of full-time.

Lorenzo Insigne stepped forward to convert the resulting spot-kick and it led to a tense finish to the encounter, but Juventus held on for the maximum points which ended the Parthenopeans’ six-game unbeaten streak in the Italian top-flight.

Following his introduction in the second half, Osimhen registered three shots but none was on target, and he was fouled three times.

Senegal defender Kalidou Koulibaly was also on parade in Turin and he received a yellow card in the 22nd minute.

The triumph pushed Andrea Pirlo's side to third in the Serie A with 59 points after 29 matches while Napoli sit in fifth spot and they trail the defending champions by three points.

The defeat might have dealt a blow to Napoli’s Champions League hopes, but club President Aurelio De Laurentiis encouraged Gennaro Gattuso and his men for their resilience at the Allianz Stadium.

“Well done lads. We leave with heads held high and above all, I enjoyed myself to the end… Well done everyone!," De Laurentiis tweeted.

Osimhen will aim to return to the scoresheet and help Napoli bounce back to winning ways when they visit Keita Balde's Sampdoria for their Serie A fixture on April 11.

Taiye Taiwo