With a brace in Saturday’s 3-1 victory at promoted Frosinone, Victor Osimhen picked up where he left off for Napoli, giving the champions a successful start to their Serie A title defense.
Following the resignation of new Italy manager Luciano Spalletti, Nigerian striker Osimhen scored a goal in each half to guarantee that the champions rallied from behind to win in Rudi Garcia’s coaching debut.
Midway through the first half, Matteo Politano scored Napoli’s other goal to tie the score after Abdou Harroui had shockingly given the home team Frosinone an early lead from the penalty spot.
“It was important to start well… the opponent gave us a very hard time,” said Osimhen to DAZN.
Osimhen scored 31 times last season, including the goal which sealed the league title and he is in talks for a contract extension despite big-money interest from clubs abroad.
“The president is the boss. We are still negotiating, maybe at the end of the transfer window we will see what will happen,” added Osimhen, whose current deal expires in June 2025.
“But for now I’m a Napoli player which is the most important thing and I will give my heart and soul for the team.”
Garcia didn’t have everything go his way at the Stadio Benito Stirpe, and he faces a difficult task in defending Napoli’s first title crown since 1990.
In the seventh minute, his team was down a goal when Harroui converted a penalty after a clumsy tackle by Jens Cajuste, who had a challenging debut.
When Cajuste kicked Jaime Baez instead of clearing the ball, he gave up the penalty kick after already knocking over a pitchside photographer with an errant pre-game shot.
When Politano pounced after confusion in the Frosinone box and slammed in a powerful left-footed shot that should have been stopped by the home goalkeeper Stefano Turati, Napoli, who were playing without injured star winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, were level.