Unstoppable Napoli roll over Spezia for another big win

Napoli's Kim Min-Jae in action during a Serie A clash against Spezia at Stadio Alberto-Picco in La Spezia, Italy on Sunday. [REUTERS/YONHAP]

Unstoppable SSC Napoli remain as unstoppable as ever, beating Spezia 3-0 on Sunday to remain 13 points clear at the top of Serie A.

After an unusually quiet first half, Napoli rained in the goals after the break, with Khvicha Kvaraskhelia scoring a penalty in the 47th minute and Vistor Osimhen adding two of his own in a five-minute spell starting in the 68th minute.

The brace puts Osimhen on seven goals in the last five games — with at least one in each of those games — and 16 on the season, despite missing four games last year with an injury.

The Nigerian striker’s class was also on display off the pitch on Sunday, when he climbed into the stands to apologize to a woman who took an off-target shot to the face.

“I think she was looking at her phone, the ball hit her in the face and I felt so sorry, as I didn’t mean to do that,” Osimhen said after the game. “I had to show my appreciation and say sorry for that.”

Korean center back Kim Min-jae played the full 90 minutes of the game on Sunday, helping the team keep yet another clean sheet.

With the win on Sunday, Napoli have 18 win, two draws and just one loss on the season so far, becoming only the third team ever to have won 18 games in 21 matches in a Serie A campaign since the season three-point era began.

Sunday’s game also marked the club’s 25th clean sheet since Luciano Spalletti took the helm in 2021, a record unmatched by any other team in the league over the same period.

With 17 games still to play this season it is theoretically still possible for Napoli to stumble, but it looks increasingly unlikely. It now seems like ensuring the Partenopei take the title is just a matter of course, with the club’s first league title in 30 years looking increasingly easy to take.

“The difference in these games, at this time and in these stadiums, is made by the mentality of the players. You have to start preparing from the night before, as there’s no time to get ready in the morning,” Spalletti said after the game.

“There are moments in life when you achieve results and then you can either stick or twist. We have no doubts on that, we have made our decision to gamble for double, going to attack every game and trying to achieve something for the love of these fans who were all praying for us today. We must be proud of the love Neapolitans have for us and to translate that onto the pitch.”

Napoli will be back in action next Sunday as they take on Cremonese, one of the only teams to beat them so far this season.

BY JIM BULLEY [jim.bulley@joongang.co.kr]