Romelu Lukaku appears to have quickly settled in at Napoli, scoring a debut goal that contributed to his team’s 2-1 victory over 10-man Parma.
Napoli seemed on the verge of suffering their second defeat of the season, but Lukaku, who came on as a second-half substitute, equalized before André-Frank Zambo Anguissa headed in the winner, sealing the game against the newcomers.
Lukaku scored his first goal for Napoli in the second minute of an extensive 15-minute stoppage time, firing past Enrico Delprato, who had to take over as goalkeeper following Zion Suzuki’s red card in the 76th minute.
Due to a second yellow card, Suzuki’s expulsion occurred just after Parma coach Fabio Pecchia had used up his last substitutions. Parma had initially taken a surprise lead in the 19th minute with a penalty converted by Ange-Yoan Bonny.
Four minutes after Lukaku’s equalizer, André-Frank Zambo Anguissa’s powerful header secured Napoli’s dramatic second win in their first three matches of the season.
Lukaku scored after being introduced to the home crowd along with fellow new signings Scott McTominay and Billy Gilmour before the match against Parma. All three players were signed in the days leading up to the game.
“It’s an honor to play for this team, these fans, and to be welcomed by the players here. Scoring on my debut has become a bit of a habit throughout my career, but winning is what truly matters,” Lukaku said to DAZN.
Lukaku was brought in to replace Victor Osimhen, who has been excluded from the Napoli squad after failing to secure a transfer away from southern Italy.
Osimhen had been pushing for a move away from Napoli following a turbulent period for the club, which began almost immediately after they won their third league title last year.
However, no club managed to meet Napoli’s asking price while also satisfying Osimhen’s salary demands, leaving the 25-year-old stuck at the club as Napoli begins to build a new team under Antonio Conte.
