Napoli's Nigerian forward Victor Osimhen (C) scores his side's second goal past Frankfurt's German goalkeeper Kevin Trapp (L) during the UEFA Champions League round of 16, second leg football match between SSC Napoli and Eintracht Frankfurt at the Diego-Maradona stadium in Naples on March 15, 2023

Victor Osimhen scored twice as Napoli cruised into the Champions League quarter-finals for the first time with a comfortable win over Eintracht Frankfurt.

With Luciano Spalletti’s side two goals up from the first leg, the Nigeria striker’s thumping header in first-half stoppage time dispelled any lingering nerves at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.

Osimhen doubled the Italians’ lead on the night with a close-range finish from Giovanni di Lorenzo’s cross eight minutes after the break and, having been brought down in the box, Piotr Zielinski converted the penalty himself to make it 3-0.

“We want to enjoy the moment and look ahead. It’s a great win, we re-wrote the history of this club,” Osimhen said.

“We keep dreaming, we don’t have limits. We follow our coach and look ahead.”

With a commanding 18-point lead at the top of Serie A, Napoli head into the last eight with a real chance to compete for top prize in European football.

  • Eintracht fans clash with police in Naples

The build-up to the match had been overshadowed as Eintracht Frankfurt fans clashed with police after arriving in Naples despite being banned from attending the second leg of the last-16 tie.

Once the game did start, it was the visitors who had the first effort of note as Rafael Borre headed off target in the 10th minute but from there Napoli took charge.

The electric Khvicha Kvaratskhelia was the main threat in the first half, slaloming through the Frankfurt defence in the 19th minute before seeing his effort from a tight angle saved by Kevin Trapp in the visitors’ goal.

Kvaratskhelia went close again three minutes before the break after another driving run but was again denied by Trapp.

The breakthrough came on the stroke of half-time when Matteo Politano dug out a cross from the right and Osimhen powered the header back past the goalkeeper.

After the break, with the tie all but settled, Napoli were able to show more of the attacking flair that has brought them such success this season and after good work from Di Lorenzo down the right, Osimhen was waiting to finish as he stretched at the far post.

The goal was Napoli’s 24th in this season’s Champions League, taking them past Benfica as the competition’s top scorers and when Djibril Sow upended Zielinski with a clumsy challenge in the box, the Polish midfielder calmly dispatched the 64th-minute spot kick to make it 25.

Frankfurt did have the chance to make the game slightly more nervy before the penalty but Daichi Kamada failed to convert from inside the six yard box.

As it was, Napoli were able to enjoy the last half hour as they completed the joint-largest aggregate win by an Italian side in the Champions League knockout stages to join Serie A rivals Inter and AC Milan in the quarters.

  • Will Napoli’s Osimhen make Premier League move?
  • Line-ups
  • Match Stats
  • Live Text

Line-ups

Napoli

Formation 4-3-3

  • 1Meret
  • 22Di Lorenzo
  • 13Rrahmani
  • 3Kim Min-jaeSubstituted forNunes Jesusat 66′minutesBooked at 77mins
  • 6Mário Rui
  • 99Zambo Anguissa
  • 68Lobotka
  • 20ZielinskiSubstituted forNdombéléat 74′minutes
  • 21PolitanoSubstituted forLozanoat 67′minutes
  • 9OsimhenSubstituted forSimeoneat 81′minutes
  • 77KvaratskheliaSubstituted forElmasat 74′minutes

Substitutes

  • 5Nunes Jesus
  • 7Elmas
  • 11Lozano
  • 16Idasiak
  • 17Olivera
  • 18Simeone
  • 19Bereszynski
  • 55Østigård
  • 70Gaetano
  • 91Ndombélé
  • 95Gollini

Frankfurt

Formation 4-2-3-1

  • 1Trapp
  • 24Ulineia Buta
  • 35Silva Melo
  • 2NdickaBooked at 26mins
  • 25LenzBooked at 32minsSubstituted forMaxat 67′minutes
  • 17RodeSubstituted forJakicat 74′minutes
  • 8Sow
  • 36KnauffSubstituted forAlidouat 62′minutes
  • 27GötzeBooked at 65mins
  • 15Kamada
  • 19Borré

Substitutes

  • 5Smolcic
  • 6Jakic
  • 11Alidou
  • 18Touré
  • 20Hasebe
  • 21Alario
  • 22Chandler
  • 32Max
  • 40Ramaj
  • 47Horz
Referee:
Anthony Taylor
Attendance:
49,082

Match Stats

Home TeamNapoliAway TeamFrankfurt
Possession
Home60%
Away40%
Shots
Home12
Away8
Shots on Target
Home8
Away1
Corners
Home4
Away3
Fouls
Home13
Away15

Live Text

  1. Post update

    Match ends, Napoli 3, Eintracht Frankfurt 0.

  2. Full Time

    Second Half ends, Napoli 3, Eintracht Frankfurt 0.

  3. Post update

    Attempt blocked. Rafael Borré (Eintracht Frankfurt) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Mario Götze.

  4. Post update

    Foul by Stanislav Lobotka (Napoli).

  5. Post update

    Mario Götze (Eintracht Frankfurt) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  6. Post update

    Foul by Giovanni Di Lorenzo (Napoli).

  7. Post update

    Philipp Max (Eintracht Frankfurt) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  8. Post update

    Attempt blocked. Evan Ndicka (Eintracht Frankfurt) header from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Philipp Max with a cross.

  9. Post update

    Corner, Eintracht Frankfurt. Conceded by Eljif Elmas.

  10. Post update

    Attempt blocked. Rafael Borré (Eintracht Frankfurt) header from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Djibril Sow.

  11. Post update

    Foul by Mário Rui (Napoli).

  12. Post update

    Faride Alidou (Eintracht Frankfurt) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  13. Substitution

    Substitution, Napoli. Giovanni Simeone replaces Victor Osimhen.

  14. Post update

    Foul by Giovanni Di Lorenzo (Napoli).

  15. Post update

    Daichi Kamada (Eintracht Frankfurt) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  16. Post update

    Corner, Eintracht Frankfurt. Conceded by Victor Osimhen.

  17. Booking

    Juan Jesus (Napoli) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

  18. Post update

    Foul by Juan Jesus (Napoli).

  19. Post update

    Rafael Borré (Eintracht Frankfurt) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

  20. Post update

    Offside, Napoli. Juan Jesus tries a through ball, but Victor Osimhen is caught offside.

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