Napoli, the reigning Serie A champions, faced a challenging outing as they battled to a goalless draw against Bologna in a Serie A matchday five encounter, MySportDab reports.
The Stadio Renato Dall’Ara in Bologna witnessed a hard-fought contest, but Napoli couldn’t secure the three points they were aiming for.
Napoli, who had failed to secure victories in their last two league games, entered the match with high hopes of returning to winning ways.
However, their aspirations were met with stern resistance from the home side, who displayed determination throughout the game.
The pivotal moment of the match came in the 72nd minute when referee Giovanni Ayroldi awarded Napoli a penalty after VAR spotted a handball by Riccardo Calafiori in the penalty box.
All eyes turned to star forward Victor Osimhen as he stepped up to take the spot-kick. However, the Super Eagles striker’s shot veered wide of the target, much to the delight of the home fans.
Osimhen’s struggles were evident throughout the game, as he missed two significant chances, hit the woodwork, won just one of his seven duels, and managed only two shots on target.
By the time he was substituted in the 86th minute, Osimhen held the lowest Sofascore rating of any player on the pitch, registering at 5.6 – his lowest rating this season.
Remarkably, Osimhen, who was Serie A’s top goalscorer with 26 goals last season, has failed to find the back of the net in any of his last four appearances for Napoli in all competitions.
His last goal came in a 2-0 victory over Sassuolo on August 27, and Napoli has been unable to secure another league win since.
With this draw, Napoli, currently in eighth place, has lost valuable ground in the Serie A standings.
They now trail league leaders Inter Milan by seven points and are four points behind AC Milan, who sit in second place. Juventus, in fourth position, has ten points.
Napoli’s quest to retain the Serie A title faces early-season challenges, and they will be eager to see Victor Osimhen rediscover his scoring touch as they seek to climb the league table in the coming matches.
