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The Nigerian could match Gonzalo Higuain and Dries Mertens’ goalscoring record in consecutive matches against one opponent.
Victor Osimhen could match two Napoli icons in gameweek 35’s Serie A clash against Udinese at Stadio Friuli.
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Udinese vs Napoli
Napoli missed their final opportunity to make a late push for fifth in Serie A last weekend when they could only draw against Roma at the Maradona, thus failing to close the gap to six points.
Osimhen notched his 14th league strike against the Giallorossi to put Francesco Calzona’s men 2-1 up with six minutes of regulation time left on the clock but the Partenopei conceded to a late Tammy Abraham strike in the eventual 2-2 draw.
It leaves the deposed champions with little to play for in the competition's closing gameweeks, even if Osimhen chases a personal achievement against the relegation-threatened club from Udine.
The Little Zebras rank third-bottom with four gameweeks remaining, but are two points shy of Empoli in 17th. While Napoli’s form has been mixed all season, the Azzurri have historically enjoyed success against the Bianconeri, winning 13 of 15 (two draws) Serie A matches, including claiming five wins in Udine in seven fixtures.
Napoli’s last visit to Stadio Friuli marked the occasion that confirmed their Scudetto triumph, with Osimhen netting the equaliser that ratified the Partenopei’s first Serie A triumph in 33 years. Last season's Capocannoniere returns to the home of the Bianconeri for the first time since scoring that title-clinching strike, keen to match a club record.
Will Osimhen equal Mertens and Higuain’s Napoli feats?
The striker already scored in the reverse fixture in September that ended 4-1 in Napoli’s favour, seeing him hit the back of the net for five games running against Udinese in Serie A.
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Only two Napoli players have outdone that in the three-points-for-a-win era — with Gonzalo Higuain finding the net in six straight games against Lazio from December 2013 to February 2016 and Dries Mertens doing likewise against Bologna from April 2016 till May 2019.
Higuain netted 11 goals in those six games, notching a hat-trick and three braces as he proved to be a thorn in the side of the capital club.
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The Belgian's tally of 11 goals in his consecutive goalscoring run against Bologna years later matched Higuain, and his tally was aided by two hat-tricks — in 6-0 and 7-1 triumphs — and a brace.
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While Osimhen has netted in five straight games against Udinese, only in the 2-1 victory over the Little Zebras in 2021-22 has the Nigerian netted more than one goal against the Udine-based club.
Heading into gameweek 35, Osimhen has netted six times in his last five Serie appearances against Udinese, and he seeks to add to that tally against Fabio Cannavaro’s men, keen to equal the feat of the former Napoli forwards.
What comes next for Napoli and Osimhen?
The Partenopei face an uphill battle to end in the continental positions, with Calzona's men five points behind seventh-placed Lazio, seven behind Atalanta in sixth and nine back of fifth-placed Roma.
Osimhen, widely expected to leave Naples in the next transfer window, hopes to deliver statement performances in Napoli’s concluding gameweeks of the 2023-24 season.
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