Victor Osimhen: Napoli Captain Hails Super Eagles Star After Scoring Against Barcelona in UCL

Victor Osimhen: Napoli Captain Hails Super Eagles Star After Scoring Against Barcelona in UCL

Raphael Abiola
February 22, 2024 at 11:09 AM
In this article:
Giovanni Di Lorenzo logo
G. D. Lorenzo
Napoli logoDItaly logo
Napoli logo
Napoli
Italy
33
Victor Osimhen logo
V. Osimhen
Napoli logoFNigeria logo
Nigeria logo
Nigeria
Nigeria
21
FC Barcelona logo
FC Barcelona
Spain
35
UEFA Champions League logo
UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League logo
UEFA UCL
Europe
Kylian Mbappé logo
K.Mbappé
Real Madrid logoFFrance logo
Real Madrid logo
Real Madrid
Spain
37
  • Giovanni Di Lorenzo heaped praise on Victor Osimhen after his stellar performance against Barcelona
  • The Super Eagles striker cancelled out Robert Lewandowski's goal to give Napoli a well-deserved draw
  • Napoli face the Spanish club in the second leg of the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 in two weeks

Napoli captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo has hailed Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen after earning the Italian side a draw in the Round of 16 tie against Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League.

The Serie A champions were a goal down on the hour mark after Robert Lewandowski pounced on Pedri Gonzalez's through pass.

The Catalans aimed to get a first-leg win at the Diego Armando Maradona stadium, but a 75th-minute strike from Osimhen earned the Parthenopeans a deserved draw.

Victor Osimhen celebrates after scoring his team's first goal during the UEFA Champions League 2023/24 round of 16 first leg match between SSC Napoli and FC Barcelona. Photo: Matteo Ciambelli.
Victor Osimhen celebrates after scoring his team's first goal during the UEFA Champions League 2023/24 round of 16 first-leg match between SSC Napoli and FC Barcelona. Photo: Matteo Ciambelli.
Source: Getty Images

The tie was the Super Eagles striker's first game for the club since he returned from the Africa Cup of Nations.

In a post-match interview with Amazon Prime Video, as per Tutto Napoli, Di Lorenzo lauded the Nigerian international for his performance and said he is happy the striker is back in the squad.

"It's an important return for us; Victor [Osimhen] is a great champion," he said.
"He came back very well, with his head right as we all knew. He will give us a hand in the games we are missing. With Simeone and Raspadori, the coach has a great choice; he will decide from time to time."

The second leg of the tie will be held in two weeks time at the Lluis Companys Olympic Stadium, with Napoli having a chance to qualify for the next round if they get a win.

PSG keen on signing Victor Osimhen

Sports Brief previously reported that French Ligue 1 side, Paris Saint-Germain, are ready to meet Osimhen's release clause at Napoli.

The Nigerian international is seen as an ideal replacement for Kylian Mbappe, who is set to leave the club for Spanish giants, Real Madrid.

Osimhen's excellent performance in Serie A last season has ignited interest from many clubs for the 25-year-old.

Authors
Raphael Abiola photo
Raphael Abiola
Raphael Abiola is a Nigerian Sports Journalist with over five years of experience. He obtained a B.Tech degree in Computer Science from the Federal University of Technology, Akure, in 2015.