The Nigerian Napoli striker was, like last season in the same stadium, the target of racist cries coming down from the turn of the Verona ultras following scoring just before the break, according to an AFP photographer.
Not enough to destabilize Osimhen or Napoli, who discovered with Khvicha Kvaratskhelia an already effective replacement on the orphan left wing of Lorenzo Insigne: the young Georgian (21) also scored and offered a goal.
As in their initial slap (1-4) once morest Serie B side Bari in the Italian Cup a week ago, Hellas nevertheless scored first through 29th-placed Kevin Lasagna and managed to equalize on recovery thanks to Thomas Henry, 48th.
But the former team of Igor Tudor, now coached by Gabriele Cioffi, must also leave without a few key players, including striker Giovanni Simeone expected soon in Naples.
Naples reversed the situation on a header from Kvaratskhelia (37th) then a recovery from Osimhen (45 + 3rd), greeted for a few seconds by racist cries.
Last season, for racist choirs already targeting Osimhen and Kalidou Koulibaly, Verona was condemned to play a meeting with a closed turn.
After the fear of the Verona equalizer on the return from the locker room, Napoli escaped thanks to Piotr Zielinski (55th), Stanislav Lobotka (65th) and Matteo Politano (79th).
“It’s important to start well, because we lost key players, real leaders. It’s up to us to take matters into our own hands,” Osimhen said in his post-match interview on DAZN, where he was not questioned regarding the shouting that targeted him.
The meeting was preceded by a minute’s silence in memory of ex-goalkeeper Claudio Garella, Italian champion with both teams in the 1980s.
