CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: OSIMHEN BRACE TAKES NAPOLI TO QUARTER FINALS

Nigeria international Victor Osimhen scored a brace to help Napoli brush aside Eintracht Frankfurt in 3-0 victory in Naples to advance to the Champions League quarter-finals with a 5-0 aggregate.

The 24 year-old who starred in Napoli’s 2-0 win in their first leg in German was creatively domineering but couldn’t convert chances in the early minutes of the game. The half ended 0-0 but thanks to Kevin Trapp who was brilliant in the first half for Frankfurt.

In the early stage of the second half Napoli demonstrated ambition and good play from the wings. It didn’t take long before it paid off for Victor Osimhen to score, Stanislav quick reach to the ball and subsequently a brilliant pass to Matteo Politano was Osimhen’s asking and the perfect cross got to him to rise high and head back across goal and into the net in the 47 minutes.

The Super Eagles top notch striker was on song again following pressured Frankfurt defense that looked jittery and couldn’t clear the ball at the crucial moment. The smart cross from Kyaratskheila to Politano was brilliant. And Di Lorenzo’s non- selfish play ushered Osimhen to turn home the second goal in the 57 minutes.

With the clock tilting closer towards the end of the match Piotr Zielinski added the third eleven minutes later after Osimhen’s second goal to seal the win at the Armando Maradona Stadium in Naples. The win takes the Serie A top leader to a good pedestrian as they book a place in the Champions League quarter-final draw.

Meanwhile, Napoli manager Luciano Spalletti has showered praises on the former Lille forward explaining he is now a better team player and his positive development makes him one of the best strikers in the world.

He described him as an excellent striker who can be a soloist and makes these sudden surges. “But he also has to combine with rest of the team. He is starting to do that now and we are very happy.” Luciano Spalletti told Sky Italia after the game.

Osimhen has now scored 23 goals in 28 appearances across all competitions for Napoli this season which some pundits say he could challenge Erling Haaland for Europe top scorer this season.