Eintracht Frankfurt 0-2 Napoli: Serie A table-toppers continue fine season with a dominant Champions League win in last-16 first leg thanks to goals from Victor Osimhen and Giovanni Di Lorenzo… as Randal Kolo Muani is sent off for hosts
- Napoli secured a dominant 2-0 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt on Tuesday
- Goals from Victor Osimhen and Giovanni Di Lorenzo were enough for the Italians
- Randal Kolo Muani was sent off for Frankfurt in a damaging defeat for them
Goals from Victor Osimhen and Giovanni Di Lorenzo gave Napoli a comfortable 2-0 victory at 10-man Eintracht Frankfurt in their Champions League last-16 first leg on Tuesday.
In-form Nigeria striker Osimhen, who has now scored 10 goals in his last nine games across all competitions, tapped in at the far post to give his team a 40th minute lead.
Captain Di Lorenzo doubled it from a superb backheel assist by Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, who made amends for his first half penalty miss.
Error-prone Frankfurt had Randal Kolo Muani red-carded in the 58th and were no match for the Italians, who were sharper from the start and hit the post in the 34th through Hirving Lozano.
They earned a penalty immediately after as Frankfurt’s Aurelio Buta kicked Osimhen in his effort to clear the ball.
Napoli put one foot in the Champions League quarter-finals after a 2-0 win over Frankfurt
Victor Osimhen opened the scoring for the Italian side as he turned in a Hirving Lozano cross
It was the striker’s 20th goal of the season as he continues to enjoy a sensational run of form
Georgia forward Kvaratskhelia, who with Osimhen has amassed a total of 32 goals between them in all competitions this season for the runaway Serie A leaders, failed to beat Kevin Trapp from the spot.
Osimhen did it much better only five minutes later after Mexican Lozano, who wreaked havoc down the right wing with his darting runs, whipped in another low cross to the far post for the Nigerian to bundle home.
MATCH FACTS
FRANKFURT (3-4-3): Trapp; Tuta, Jakic, Ndicka; Buta (Knauff 69), Kamada, Sow, Max (Lenz 90+2); Lindstrom (Borre 69), Kolo Muani, Gotze (Alidou 81)
Subs not used: Ramaj, Rode, Smoicic, Toure, Hasebe, Chandler, Alario
Scorers: None
Booked: Gotze
Sent off: Kolo Muani 58
Manager: Oliver Glasner
NAPOLI (4-3-3): Meret; Di Lorenzo, Rrahmani, Kim, Olivera; Zielinski, Lobotka, Anguissa (Ndombele 80); Lozano (Elmas 80), Osimhen (Simeone 84), Kvaratskhelia (Politano 84)
Subs not used: Idasiak, Gollini, Gaetano, Bereszynski, Jesus, Ostigard, Rui,
Scorers: Osimhen 40, Di Lorenzo 65
Booked: Elmas, Kim
Manager: Luciano Spalletti
Ref: A Dias Soares
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia had an earlier first half spot kick saved by Frankfurt stopper Kevin Trapp
Trapp pulled off several fantastic saves during the match to keep the margin of victory down
Randal Kolo Muani was sent off after half time for a bad challenge on Frank Zambo Anguissa
Giovanni Di Lorenzo doubled Napoli’s lead with a calm left-footed finish after 65 minutes
Osimhen put the ball in the net again in an almost identical move a minute later but his effort was ruled out for offside.
Kvaratskhelia had a golden chance to double their lead in the 57th but again did not manage to beat Trapp in a one-on-one after another Lozano through ball.
The turning point for Frankfurt came a minute later when their top scorer Kolo Muani got his marching orders for a clumsy challenge on Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa.
Napoli’s pressure grew and they were rewarded in the 65th when Kvaratskhelia picked up the ball in the box and backheeled it for Di Lorenzo to curl a shot into the far bottom corner.
It was another brilliant win for Luciano Spalletti’s side who look set to reach the quarter-finals
They are enjoying a memorable season that also sees them 15 points clear at the top of Serie A
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