Osimhen goes clear of Martinez in top scorer's race with brace in Bologna draw

Osimhen goes clear of Martinez in top scorer's race with brace in Bologna draw

Ayoola Kelechi 16:06 - 28.05.2023

Victor Osimhen scored twice but Napoli failed to take all three points as Bologna fought for a well deserved point against the champions

Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen scored twice for Napoli to give them a healthy two-goal lead, but a spirited fightback from Bologna earned them a point in a 2-2 draw in Serie A

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Osimhen opened the scoring and got his 24th and 25th goals of the 2022/23 Serie A campaign with a superb brace for the Partenopei, but two second-half goals from Scottish forward Lewis Ferguson and full back Lorenzo De Silvestri in the 84th minute rescued the game for the home side.

How it happened

Napoli already secured the Serie A title four games ago against Udinese, but they have continued to dominate recent matches in order to finish on a high, winning their last three games in a row since becoming champions. 

The intent to do the same against mid-table Bologna was there from the start, and the Partenopei took the lead after just 14 minutes when Osimhen took advantage of an errant pass from goalkeeper Lukasz Skorupski to make it 1-0 to the visitors. 

He scored another early goal at the start of the second half, netting after less than 10 minutes of the restart with a lovely finish from Bartosz Bereszynski’s through pass. 

The game looked done and dusted from a Napoli point of view, but Bologna were unwilling to end their final home game of the season in defeat. 

The hosts made three substitutions after the hour mark, changing the complexion of the game as Ferguson pulled a goal back within a minute of the changes. 

More Bologna substitutions affected the end result, as De Silvestri, who came on in the 74th minute, scored the equaliser only 10 minutes later to rescue a point for the home side. 

Osimhen vs Martinez

Osimhen’s 24th and 25th goals of the campaign helped him gain a stronger footing in the race for the Serie A golden boot with Inter’s Lautaro Martinez breathing down his neck. 

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Martinez scored his 21st goal of the campaign against Atalanta, putting him within two goals of Osimhen before the Bologna match, but Osimhen’s brace has put a four-goal chasm between the forwards with one game to go, virtually sealing the golden boot for the Nigerian.

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