Victor Osimhen was passed fit and featured as Napoli earned a valuable 1-1 draw away to Barcelona at Camp Nou, in their Europa League first-leg round of 16 clash on Thursday.
Osimhen was a doubt for the game due to a knee issue but made the starting eleven for Napoli.
He was then replaced by Dries Mertens with 10 minutes left.
Nico Gonzalez stung Alex Meret’s gloves at the near post, Osimhen doing the same after springing the offside trap on an inspired Piotr Zielinski through ball.
Kalidou Koulibaly made a sensational tackle on Adama Traore, who was offside anyway, and Ferran Torres wasted a golden opportunity by blasting over after a heavy touch.
Also Read: Ighalo: AFCON Absence Made Me Quit Al Shabab For Al Hilal
Moments later, Napoli took the lead instead on 29 minutes after Eljif Elmas sent Jordi Alba to ground with a dummy and rolled across for Zielinski, whose first shot from 10 yards was parried by Marc-Andre Ter Stegen, but the Poland international smashed the rebound into the roof of the net.
Ferran Torres nodded wide from a promising position and Barca saw a lot more of the ball after the restart, but the decisive moment was a Traore cross that grazed the fingertips of Juan Jesus.
Nobody had complained at the time, but the referee was called back by VAR and awarded the penalty, which Ferran Torres calmly converted to make it 1-1 on 59 minutes.
At the Signa Iduna Park in Germany, Joe Aribo provided an assist as Rangers shocked Borussia Dortmund 4-2.
Aribo set up Alfredo Morelos who made it 2-0 in favour of Rangers in the 41st minute.
Also in action for Rangers was Calvin Bassey who saw action for 90 minutes while Leon Balogun did not make the matchday squad.
And in the Europa Conference League first-leg round of 16 fixture, Peter Olayinka was in action for Slavia Prague who edged Fenerbahce 3-2 in Turkey, while Raphael Onyedika helped Midtjylland beat PAOK 1-0.
By James Agberebi
16 Comments
I no dey understand osimhen game these days ooo
His teammates dey frustrate the guy. Their pattern is too slow for him. They’re expecting him to slow down but as we all know Osimhen is an all action explosive striker. So he is forcing them to play his style and they’re also playing theirs nonsense. So the whole team is confused. Anyway i blame the Coach for always putting Mertens on the Bench. He’s the most creative player they have. My advise is for Osimhen to move elsewhere at the end of the season. That Napoli team na error. Full of selfish players who prefer to pass side ways than set up striker to score
Osihmen too dey stay offside. That is why some of the best coaches on the planet prefer Paul Onuachu. Onuachu needs to start against Ghana.Osihmen needs to learn how to stay on side.
Osimhen really needs to improve on his all round play. His major weapon are his strength and speed but to be a world class poacher, he needs more than those. Rohr said Osi was not a great player yet, and guess what, arrogant Nigerian fans took him to the cleaners. The fewer said the better. The sky is the limit, Osi. Keep working on yourself. You are not a finished product yet.
His major problem is finishing. He needs to be more clinical and the world will be at his feet
Calvin Bassey what a Wonderful player. The next Kalidou Koulibaly. Man the boy us a rock and he is quick a weapon if selected by Eguavoen. This is our ticket to World Cup Calvin Bassey the secret weapon of the back. Osimhen game us frustrating me. I dont know what to say he needs to stay of social media now and train harder that is clear.
This the comment have been waiting for, he really need elect somebody to handle is social media account, @23 he shd know better, he has not given 1/4 of what Napoli paid for his service, he really need discipline himself.
I’m not sure which game the people blaming Napoli midfielders watched. Osimhen hasn’t really done well since returning from injury. May be the face-mask is impeding his sight a bit. Midfielders will be give you the ball when you make the right runs. Agreed Napoli midfielders are a bit lacklustre in transition, but Victor hasn’t done himself any favors with his runs. Also, he hasn’t being clinical lately. He got a decent chance against Inter Milan but missed. Most times, his goals are made out of physicality rather than precision. He still needs to fine-tune his runs, positioning and shooting – accuracy before power! Still a great player in the making.
I bet they will start Paul Onuachu and not Victor Osimhen against Ghana. We shall see. victor has a weak left foot.
What about dessers. Onuachu has many chances. Dessers look like a better finisher. I hope we can have a pattern to play two strikers. Despite some errors from oshimen, we still need his energy to run done defences especially in Africa
I still think Osimhen or Dessers should start but Onuachu has to come in at some point.
People are not being honest with this guy and I fear if the overhype will not kill his career. He missed begging chances that striker of nowadays don’t suppose to miss even in national team no wonder Rohr insistence on recalling Ighalo maybe to make him to learn 1 or 2 things from experience striker. He has not perform as expected ever since he move to Napoli to be sincere but the good things is that the club and the fans are still putting up with him but he need to improve before they turn their back on him and also not to reduce his market value. I don’t think he can be playing like this for any of English team and his value would not have dropped drastically. The last time some Italian journalist and failed criticised him for not always performing against big club. Nigeria fans needs to assist this guy by been encourage to be humble and keep working hard because the talent is there no doubt about that but he is never a world class striker but has potential
Naked-truth, Well-done. In fact with the price Napoli bought him (highest for African players), I’ll say the fans and management are quite nice to him. He needs to step-up ASAP.
Three things he must learn:
1. Make intelligent runs
2. Know which aerial ball to challenge for
3. Learn how to position himself. He may need to watch clips of Van Niestetoy or Inzaghi.
4. Learn how to apply accuracy before power (in shooting technique)
There any things a striker could learn but if he can equip himself with the above, he’ll dominate CAF awards for years. He’s a brave young footballer.
Did you watch osimhen at under 17 and at charleroi? Most of the things you have mentioned, he knows how to do them, if you have doubts go watch all his under 17 goals, i think his major problem is that he things physicality is an easy way out, so he throws caution to the wind very easily because of that. “I don’t need to stress my self thinking and calculating because i have all the physical ability”. What he needs is some one to tell him he has been playing shit recently and constantly do this when he plays shit, because this boy easily gets carried away. And he needs to drop deep to the midfield, thats where he full ability come to play
The hailing don enter em head too much, he better goes back to what brought him to this level, else, another balotelli in the making with failed potential
I HAVE A GOOD FEELING ABOUT THIS YOUNG MAN CALLED RAPHAEL NWADIKE, HE LOOKS A DECENT HOLDING MIDFIELDER. I KNOW THIS IS HIS FIRST FULL SEASON IN THE TOP FLIGHT BUT HE HAS BEEN VERY CONSISTENT AND PLAYING REGULARLY FOR HIS CLUB.
THE SUPER EAGLES COACHES SHOULD FOLLOW HIM UP, HE MAY JUST BE THE BACK UP TO NDIDI OR THE PLAYER WHO WILL COMPLIMENT NDIDI IN THE SUPER EAGLES MIDFIELD.