Why Osimhen’s First Serie A Goal Made Me Happy – Napoli Manager Gattuso
The Nigeria international opened his account in the Italian top-flight to help the Blues secure a comfortable victory at Stadio San Paolo
Napoli manager Gennaro Gattuso has expressed his joy after Victor Osimhen scored his first Serie A goal in their 4-1 victory over Atalanta on Saturday.
The 21-year-old sealed the Blues’ win moments before the half-time break after Hirving Lozano’ brace and an effort from Matteo Politano had given his side a comfortable lead.
The Nigeria international controlled goalkeeper David Ospina’s long ball before beating Marco Sportiello with his fine effort, which ultimately rendered Sam Lammers’ second-half strike a mere consolation for Atalanta.
Osimhen celebrated his goal in a spectacular manner when he joined thousands of Nigerians who are calling for an end to police brutality in the West African country.
The forward teamed up with the Stadio San Paolo outfit in July for a club-record fee of €70 million from French side Lille.
Osimhen made an immediate impact with the Blues, scoring a number of breath-taking goals during the 2020-21 pre-season.
The forward grabbed an assist against Genoa before he finally opened his account for Napoli at Stadio San Paolo and Gattuso has expressed his delight with the 21-year-old’s effort.
“I’m happy for Chucky’s brace, but Osimhen’s goal makes me happy because he hadn’t scored so far and he deserved it for the hard work done for the team,” Gattuso told the club website.
“Victor was my wish and I thank the President for having satisfied me. It wasn’t easy but we have bought a player who is very important to us.”
Napoli’s victory over Atalanta ensured they returned to winning ways after losing against champions Juventus last time out.
Osimhen will be expected to continue with his impressive performances at Stadio San Paolo when his side takes on AZ Alkmaar in a Europa League game on Thursday.
The forward bagged 18 goals for Lille during his one-year stay at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy and will hope to surpass that performance for the Blues in his debut season.
