For a little over half an hour it looked like Napoli’s Scudetto might be delayed again. A win on Sunday against Salernitana would have secured the title but an 83rd-minute equalizer left Napoli needing a point from its final six games. At Udinese it fell behind after 13 minutes, but Victor Osimhen’s calm side-foot finish seven minutes into the second half secured the vital 1–1 draw. The ball with which he scored the decisive goal was immediately whisked from pitch and placed in a velvet bag. It is a relic that will be venerated just as devoutly as any of the shrines of San Gennaro, the presiding saint of Naples.
At the final whistle in Udine, Napoli fans poured onto the pitch. Blue smoke rolled across the night sky. Manager Luciano Spalletti wept. Back in Naples, the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona was packed, the mood first nervous and then ecstatic. It feels like the celebrations have already been going on for weeks. Napoli has faltered of late, winning just two of its last eight games in all competitions, but the truth is the title was secured by a run of eight successive wins after defeat to Inter at the beginning of January. There might have been a wobble—and Napoli is a side that has wobbled when well-placed before—but that sequence ensured there would not be a collapse this year.
VICTOR OSIMHEN'S 22ND SERIE A GOAL OF THE SEASON IS A HUGE ONE! 🇳🇬 🦅
— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) May 4, 2023
Napoli are less than 40 minutes away from their first Scudetto in 33 years. 👀 pic.twitter.com/Zn94h5bX69
