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The Super Eagles forward is seeking to continue his three-game away scoring run in Serie A against an Empoli side that have often stung the Partenopei.
Victor Osimhen has broadly had a decent-to-good time since Francesco Calzona took charge of Napoli in February, and the Partenopei need the 13-goal man to fire them to maximum points against Empoli on Saturday.
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21:41 - 18.04.2024
‘Masks are for Zorro’ — Juventus goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny refuses to imitate Osimhen after facial injury
Wojciech Szczesny has decided to forego a mask during his recovery after a fractured nose during Juventus' draw against Torino
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08:23 - 15.04.2024
How has Cheddira recently outdone Osimhen in Serie A?
The Napoli loanee scored twice against his parent club on Sunday, outperforming the Super Eagles man at the Maradona and denting the Partenopei’s European chase.
Empoli vs Napoli
The Blues have always been a tricky opponent for the Naples outfit, with a struggling Empoli winning the reverse fixture 1-0 at the Maradona in November.
It was their fourth defeat to Empoli in the last six Serie A meetings between the clubs (two wins), underscoring Napoli’s broader issues against the Tuscany club.
After an initial upswing under Davide Nicola — three wins and as many draws — Empoli have been beaten in five of their recent six league fixtures, failing to score in those losses. However, the home side secured maximum points in their last fixture at the Castellani, notching a late goal in a rip-roaring ending against Torino to win 3-2.
Will Calzona’s men come unstuck in Florence?
How has Osimhen fared under Calzona?
Osimhen should relish another road game for Napoli, having netted in three consecutive Serie A appearances since Calzona took charge in February.
The Nigeria international scored in the 1-1 draw at Cagliari, scored a stunning hat-trick in the 6-1 victory over Sassuolo and was instrumental in the 4-2 triumph against Monza, finding the back of the net with an excellent header at the U-Power Stadium.
Broadly, Osimhen has outdone every Serie A player's goal contributions since Calzona’s arrival. The Napoli striker has netted six of his 13 strikes since the managerial change, with one assist against Sassuolo taking the Nigerian to seven goals plus assists, a tally outdoing all but teammate Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, also involved in seven goals under the Slovakia head coach.
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Both forwards hope to come up trumps when Napoli visit the Castellani this weekend, keen to bounce back from the disappointment of picking up one point against relegation-threatened Frosinone in the previous gameweek.
With Italy all but assured of an extra Champions League spot, Napoli (49) aim to catch Roma (55) with six games remaining.
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