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Sports News of Thursday, 16 March 2023

Source: sportingtribune.com

Osimhen shines as Napoli secure historic Champions League quarter-final spot

Victor Osimhen Victor Osimhen

Victor Osimhen led Napoli to a historic victory on Wednesday as they advanced to the quarter-finals of the Champions League for the first time.

The Serie A leaders secured a 3-0 win over Eintracht Frankfurt, thanks to a double from the Nigerian striker and a penalty from Piotr Zielinski.

Despite clashes between supporters overshadowing the tie, Napoli produced a dominant performance to seal a resounding 5-0 aggregate victory against the Europa League holders. Osimhen, who has been in superb form this season, scored either side of half-time to secure Napoli’s historic victory.

The 23-year-old striker has been a key player for Luciano Spalletti’s side this season, scoring 13 goals in all competitions. He has established himself as one of the best young strikers in Europe, and his talismanic display on Wednesday only confirmed his status as a top-class player.

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Napoli made a typically fast start to the game, with Matteo Politano testing Eintracht goalkeeper Kevin Trapp in the first minute. The visitors, however, put up a strong resistance and kept Napoli at bay for much of the first half.

But they were unable to stop Osimhen from scoring just before half-time, as he hung in the air to head Politano’s cross into the top-right corner after a fine pass from Stanislav Lobotka. The Nigerian striker then needed just eight minutes after the restart to grab his brace, stretching to divert Giovanni Di Lorenzo’s low cross home from inside the six-yard box.

Trapp made several crucial saves to keep Eintracht in the game, but he was unable to prevent Zielinski from making it 3-0 from the penalty spot after the midfielder was clumsily tripped by Djibril Sow.

After swatting last season’s Europa League winners aside, Napoli will now be seen as a team to avoid when they join fellow Italian giants Milan and Inter in Friday’s last-eight draw. The quarter-finals of the Champions League are set to be a highly competitive affair, with some of the best teams in Europe still in the running.

Overall, Napoli’s victory over Eintracht Frankfurt was a memorable moment in the club’s history, and one that will be remembered by fans for years to come.

With Osimhen leading the way, the Serie A leaders will be hoping to go even further in the competition and compete for the ultimate prize in European football.