Needing a win against Liverpool to keep their hopes alive of making it out of their Champions League group stage after their 0-0 draw to Red Star in the first game, Napoli duly delivered.
Scoring the well-deserved winner in the 90th minute thanks to Lorenzo Insigne, the Serie A side also had their goalkeeper, David Ospina, to thank, as the Arsenal loanee kept a clean sheet and dealt with the Reds’ strike force very well, often coming out to cut out attacks.
Coming under some criticism before the game for conceding nine goals in his first four league games, the Colombia international redeemed himself, and made a lot of people, his father included, very proud.
Speaking to Radio Marte, relayed by Corriere dello Sport, Hernan Ospina said: “David has always been good rushing out and playing with his feet. I saw yesterday that the team have realised this and his teammates trust him more and more, bringing him into play by giving him the ball.”
Beating Orestis Karnezis to the starting job while Alex Meret continues to recover from his preseason injury, it seems the Arsenal goalkeeper is quickly making a name for himself in the south of Italy, and his father is glad to see it.
In fact, he doesn’t want him to return to the Emirates in the summer.
He continued: “I hope that he stays at Napoli because he’s happy. He’s found a spot and the trust he was lacking at Arsenal. I’ve got to say that even in Colombia, everyone is fondly watching Napoli.”
There is an option to buy in the loan that sent Ospina from Arsenal to Naples, and if the goalkeeper builds on his midweek performance, Aurelio de Laurentiis could find it hard not to trigger it in the summer.
