Korean football’s ‘monster defender’ Kim Min-jae (27) led his team Napoli (Italy) to a clean-cut victory with flawless defense.
Napoli defeated Spezia 3-0 in the 2022-23 Italian professional football Serie A round 21 away match held at the Alberto Pico Stadium in La Spezia, Italy on the 5th (Korean time).
Napoli, who had been undefeated in 15 league games since the opening and was put on hold in the 16th round against Inter Milan, continued their upward trend with five consecutive wins.
With 18 wins, 2 draws, 1 loss and 56 points, Napoli remained at the top of the league. The gap between Inter Milan (13 wins, 1 draw and 6 losses, 40 points) in second place widened to 16 points, effectively booking the championship. Even if Napoli suddenly loses 5 games in a row and Inter Milan wins 5 games in a row, the rankings of the two teams do not change.
Kim Min-jae, who teamed up with partner Amir Rahmani as a center back, kept the rear strong with a stable defense that day. In the 28th minute of the first half, he showed the appearance of returning the ball that he had passed to his opponent due to his passing mistake with a header. Even after that, he neutralized Spezia’s attack attempt with his quick feet and excellent judgment.
However, there were not many opportunities for Kim Min-jae to play an active part as Napoli led the game as a whole. Kim Min-jae, who kicked the ball 9 times in the previous match against AS Roma, recorded only one kick on this day. Still, he recorded a pass success rate of 91% and played a central role in the rear build-up. 스포츠토토
Napoli attacked all the way from the start, but failed to score a goal in the first half due to a lack of decisiveness. However, at the start of the second half, Hvica Kvarachhelia scored a right-footed shot from a penalty kick awarded for an opponent’s handball foul and shook the net.
In the 16th minute of the second half, Napoli striker Victor Osimen shook the net again. However, the referee denied the goal, saying that Osimen grabbed the defender’s uniform during the attack.
Osimen, who blew a chance to score, scored a goal in the 23rd minute of the second half, 7 minutes later. In an aerial battle with the opposing goalkeeper, he succeeded in heading the ball and put the ball into the goal.
In the 28th minute of the second half, Napoli intercepted an opponent’s pass error, and Osimen calmly finished the pass that was connected to Napoli, putting a wedge in the game. Osimen, who scored multiple goals on the day, recorded 16 league goals, firmly keeping the top scorer.