Serie A | Udinese 1-1 Napoli: Success escapes Osimhen

Originally posted on Football Italia | By Susy Campanale | Last updated 5/6/24

Victor Osimhen was not enough to give Napoli victory, as Isaac Success struck in stoppages for a precious Udinese point.

The Friulani are still in the relegation zone, but only two points off Empoli and Frosinone.

The Partenopei were forced to reshuffle with Kvicha Kvaratskhelia, Giacomo Raspadori, Piotr Zielinski, Pierluigi Gollini and Leander Dendoncker not making the trip. The hosts missed Florian Thauvin, Sandi Lovric, Lautaro Giannetti, Marco Silvestri, Gerard Deulofeu and Kingsley Ehizibue, plus banned Nehuen Perez and Martin Payero.

See how it unfolded on the Liveblog.

Maduka Okoye pushed a Jesper Lindstrom free kick off the head of Leo Ostigard, while Hassane Kamara failed to make the most of a counter-attack.

Play stopped for a moment at 21.00, the exact moment when 48 years ago an earthquake struck in the Friuli region, killing 965 people.

Lazar Samardzic’s curler was just past the far top corner from outside the box, while Lindstrom attempted an acrobatic scissor-kick volley when he had the time and space to control the ball.

Jens Cajuste saw his roll across from the left intercepted before Victor Osimhen could get there for the tap-in, then Cajuste forced a save from Okoye at the near post after robbing Joao Ferreira.

Napoli finally broke through on 51 minutes when Matteo Politano floated in a cross with his weaker right foot from the right flank, Osimhen getting between two defenders to nod in from six yards. It was in the same net where a year ago Osimhen had given Napoli the Scudetto.

This goal is vintage Victor Osimhen

He gives Napoli the lead

@tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/jIxbwASIzP

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) May 6, 2024

Udinese fought back, as Keinan Davis tested Alex Meret with a low drive from the edge of the area, while Okoye showed brave goalkeeping to rush out and push an overhit through ball off the feet of Osimhen.

Meret was almost surprised by an in-swinging Samardzic corner and Osimhen had the ball in the net again on 79 minutes when Udinese lost the ball in midfield and Stanislav Lobotka threaded through for the Osimhen angled drive, but the Nigerian was just offside.

Napoli kept pushing and had a double chance with Okoye parrying from Osimhen at the near post and the Cyril Ngonge follow-up charged down by Jaka Bijol.

However, at the 92^nd minute it was Udinese who scored when Kristensen knocked down a cross at the back post, Success took a touch to control and turned in from six yards. It was his first Serie A goal in over a year.