Rome (AFP)

The leader Naples, led by a Victor Osimhen in great shape, author of a brace on the lawn of Sampdoria (4-0), continued Thursday his faultless in the league with a fifth victory in five matches.

While Napoli takes the lead, Roma prepared much better than Lazio for Sunday's great derby: José Mourinho's Rossoneri (4th) dominated Udinese (1-0) at the Olimpico thanks to Tammy Abraham then that the Laziali of Maurizio Sarri (7th) painfully took a point on the field of Torino (1-1) thanks to a penalty at the end of the match from Ciro Immobile.

Osimhen, whose first Neapolitan season was disrupted by a long shoulder injury and Covid-19, scored five goals in one week, between Serie A and Europa League, already half of his total in his entire fiscal year previous.

With a recovery in finesse (10th), the former Lille showed the way before putting the goal of 3-0, in force this time, after the break (50th).

Fabian Ruiz (39th) and Piotr Zielinski (59th), with strikes close to the posts, also participated in this second large victory of the week after the 4-0 inflicted on Monday to Udinese, also away.

Sampdoria goalkeeper Emil Audero intervenes in front of Portuguese defender of Napoli Mario Rui (l), on September 23, 2021 in Genoa ANDREAS SOLARO AFP

"After what happened last season, between the injury and the Covid-19, for me it is important to start well", acknowledged Osimhen, ensuring "progress day after day" with his trainer Luciano Spalletti.

- Pellegrini private derby -

With 15 points, Naples has two lengths ahead of Inter Milan (2nd) and AC Milan (3rd), and ten over Juventus (12th).

Roma (4th, 12 pts) remain in contact with the top three thanks to their success in the evening against Udinese.

AS Rome's English striker Tammy Abraham against Udinese, September 23, 2021 in Rome Alberto PIZZOLI AFP

The Giallorossi logically opened the scoring by Abraham after a nice overflow to the left of the young Riccardo Calafiori (36th), after having touched the amounts twice at the start of the match.

They sometimes trembled then on some tumbles of Gerard Deulofeu, but rather well managed this match which ended on a bitter note for them: the exclusion of their captain Lorenzo Pellegrini for a second yellow card (90th), this which will deprive him of the derby of the capital Sunday against Lazio.

The Laziali, they will arrive at the meeting of the derby the morale reached, with a third consecutive game without a win.

Surprised by a great team from Torino and a goal from Croatian Marko Pjaca (76th), Sarri's players snatched the equalizer in added time thanks to a penalty from the inevitable Ciro Immobile (90 + 1st), for his sixth goal of the season.

Lazio striker Ciro Immobile scores from the penalty spot against Torino on September 23, 2021 in Turin MARCO BERTORELLO AFP

"I'm not particularly happy, you have to work more, not to be afraid to play," regretted Immobile after these new points abandoned after the defeat in Milan (0-2) and the draw at home against Cagliari (2-2 ).

A good time for a derby?

"We will have to play the knife between the teeth," he said.

© 2021 AFP