Isaac Success scored his first Italian Serie A goal of the season on Monday night, helping Udinese come from behind to hold Napoli to a 1-1 draw at the Stadio Friuli.
Success’ stoppage-time goal cancelled out Victor Osimhen’s 51st-minute opener, which was scored with a trademark header. Although Osimhen thought he had given Napoli a 2-0 lead in the 80th minute, his goal was correctly ruled out for offside by the Video Assistant Referee (VAR).
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Osimhen’s goal marked a milestone, as he became the third Napoli player to score in six consecutive matches against a single team in Serie A in the three-points-for-a-win era. This feat was previously achieved by Gonzalo Higuaín against Lazio between 2013 and 2016 and Dries Mertens against Bologna between 2016 and 2019.
The goal was a long-awaited one for Isaac Success, who had gone 25 games without finding the back of the net this season.
In addition to the impressive performances from Osimhen and Success, Super Eagles goalkeeper Maduka Okoye and defender Kingsley Ehizube also put in outstanding performances. Okoye was the more active player in goal, making three impressive saves to help keep his side in the game. Since becoming the club’s first-choice goalkeeper, Okoye has been one of the most outstanding shot-stoppers in the Italian league.
The result is another blow to Napoli’s hopes of playing on the continent next season, as they have failed to replicate the impressive performance that saw them claim the Italian domestic league title for the first time in over three decades last season.
