Torino 0-4 Napoli: Victor Osimhen double and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia strike help fire Serie A leaders to victory in Turin

Napoli took another step towards the Scudetto with a dominant 4-0 win over Torino in Turin.

Serie A’s leading goalscorer Victor Osimhen headed the visitors into the lead after just 12 minutes and Georgian winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia won and converted a penalty in the 35th minute.

In the intervening 20 minutes, the home side were dominant but failed to convert their many good attacking chances into a goal.

Il Toro also consistently invited pressure with poor giveaways and sloppy passing out from the back.

Shortly after half-time Osimhen rose again to head in Napoli’s third, running onto a perfect cross from Mathias Olivera.

Second-half substitute Tanguy Ndombele made it 4-0 with a smart finish after Osimhen won back possession and found Kvaratskhelia in the box with 20 minutes to play.

Victory takes Napoli 21 points clear of Inter who face Juventus in the Derby d’Italia on Sunday night, while Torino remain ninth.

Talking point – How far can this Napoli team go?

With the Serie A title now surely all-but a formality, and a very winnable Champions League quarter-final against Milan on the horizon, what is the ceiling for Luciano Spalletti’s side?

They swept aside a bright Torino team with contempt, barely needing to get into gear to open them up at will.

Torino had lost only three home games before this match, but Napoli cut them apart.

With Victor Osimhen and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia looking untouchable in attack and the silk-and-steel combination of Amir Rrahmani and Kim Min-Jae in front of the unflappable Alex Meret, and quality players like Elif Elmas and Tanguy Ndombele available from the bench, the only question is whether this team can do something really special this season.

Player of the Match – Victor Osimhen

The big Nigerian did it all against Torino. He scored two goals with brave, powerful headers, and he also played a huge role in the attacking build-up. He showed his quality both as a traditional No. 9 by winning headers and holding up the play to bring his team-mates into attack, he also dropped deep to receive possession and spray passes to his wingers.

He also worked hard without the ball, winning back possession with his aggression just before Napoli’s fourth goal. He even headed a goal-bound Torino shot off the line in the second half.

It was a sensational performance from the striker who is now almost certain to become the first African player to win the Capocannoniere.

Player ratings

Torino: Milinkovic-Savic 5, Schuurs 6, Rodriguez 5, Gravillon 6, Linetty 4, Ricci 5, Vojvoda 6, Singo 6, Sanabria 6, Vlasic 7, Radonjic 6. Subs: Djidji 5, Ilic 6, Buongiorno 6, Aina N/A, Seck N/A

Napoli: Meret 7, Min-Jae 8, Rrahmani 6, Olivera 7, Di Lorenzo 6, Lobotka 7, Zielinski 6, Zambo Anguissa 7, Osimhen 9, Kvaratskhelia 8, Lozano 6. Subs: Ostigard 6, Gaetano 6, Ndombele 7, Simeone 5, Elmas 6.

Match highlights

9′ GOAL NAPOLI – Osimhen gets free in the box to head home the opener and make it 11 goals in 11 league matches.

14′ VLASIC BLASTS SHOT AT MERET – A powerful shot is repelled back into traffic but Napoli hack it clear.

22′ HOW HAVE TORINO NOT SCORED? Meret makes a great stop before Sanabria hits the bar with the follow-up.

30′ NAPOLI BLOW HUGE CHANCE – Osimhen breaks clear into the Torino box and squares it to Lozano but the Mexican takes too long and his shot is blocked. It really should have been two.

34′ PENALTY NAPOLI – Linetty sends out a loose boot and Kvaratskhelia is knocked to the ground.

35′ GOAL NAPOLI – Kvaratskhelia fearlessly converts his penalty and Napoli move into a comfortable 2-0 lead.

51′ GOAL NAPOLI – Osimhen rises to head in Napoli’s third goal of the day, surely sealing victory if it wasn’t already.

55′ OSIMHEN CLEARS OFF THE LINE – He scores goals, but he saves them too. A vital intervention from the Nigerian on his goal line.

68′ GOAL NAPOLI – Tanguy Ndombele scores his first goal for Napoli in Serie A with a smart finish after Kvaratskhelia squares it to him at the top of the box.

Key stats

Torino: Seven – The hosts piled on 12 shots against Napoli, as many as the visitors. Of those, seven came inside the penalty area but Alex Meret was still only really tested by one long-range strike. This was a masterclass in wasting good positions.

Napoli: 11 – The number of defensive interventions made by Kim Min-Jae, all without conceding a foul. His five interceptions and three clearances were both the most of any player on the pitch. The big defender was immaculate and continues to shine after his summer move to Italy.