C1 – Eintracht Frankfurt – Napoli: Victor Osimhen, down the mask

It almost became a habit. In official shops or from street vendors, it has now become commonplace to see Neapolitan tifosi asking for “masks”. Not FFP2, let’s get along. We are talking about real masks to hang around the eyes, a bit like Robin in Batman. So, by dint of requests, everyone has adapted and, if you are going to the Stadio Diego Maradona in Naples soon, don’t be surprised to see these masks everywhere. Because there, everyone just wants to look like the local superhero: Victor Osimhen. Author of 18 goals in 23 days, the Nigerian striker, current top scorer in Serie A, is currently enjoying the most successful season of his career. And he carries on his shoulders a team that is heading straight, and in a logical and indisputable way, towards the third Scudetto in its history.

Unstoppable, the masked attacker leaves his mark wherever he goes. Forgot the “Z” of Zorro, place now in the “V” of Victor. During his last seven outings in the Boot, the one everyone calls “Osi” has always scored. Unheard of in the history of Napoli in the era of three points (1994-1995), as Opta recalled after his new achievement against Sassuolo (0-2) on Friday evening. Better, Osimhen was a scorer or decisive passer in fourteen of the seventeen matches played in all competitions.

“He devastates everything in his path, he is relentless and irreducible“, wrote the specialized site Tuttomercato, almost speechless at this new sensational goal from the former LOSC striker. An impossible strike from an angle that was even more impossible, with “a power that leaves all its adversaries unmoved“, estimated The Gazzetta dello Sport. Conclusion for the Sports Courier : “This 18th goal from the top scorer in the championship defies all the laws of physics.”

With Khvicha, a fatal duo

Arrived in the summer of 2020 at the foot of Vesuvius, Osimhen had hinted at his full potential during his first two seasons. But often hampered by injuries, including a traumatic and “almost fatal” one after a terrible shock against Milan Skriniar, due to the wearing of his mask, he could not completely explode. Today in a collective that looks like a steamroller, and after finally managing to channel his exuberance and physical power, he is now at the top. From Italy… and from Europe. With his sidekick Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, he has collected a total of 21 goals and 19 assists, slightly less than the Haalande-De Bruyne duo (30 goals and 16 assists between them) and Neymar-Messi (24 goals and 21 assists).

“Osimhen is the most complete of all. There is still significant room for improvement“, assures his coach Luciano Spalletti about “Supermhen”, who made his European debut in the Bundesliga with Wolfsburg (2017-18), before express passages in Charleroi (2018-19) then Lille (2019-20). Tuesday evening, he will be expected at the turn against Randal Kolo Muani’s Eintracht Frankfurt.Since mid-October, the figures have been identical and just as dizzying for the Frenchman, with the difference that the former Nantes player is a little less of a scorer (8 against 16) and a little more passer (7 against 3) than Osimhen. Suffice to say that this duel will be eagerly awaited.

For his part, the Neapolitan striker intends to catch up with a somewhat upset group stage. Victim of a thigh injury, he had missed the meetings against Rangers and Ajax Amsterdam, before scoring his only goal on October 12 in the victory against the Dutch club (4-2) after coming into play It is therefore time, finally, to confirm his new status on the European scene, always crucial and revealing to be able to enter the elite of the best players in the world.

“Everyone is talking about Victor because everyone wants to recruit himDavid Trezeguet told DAZN last week. He is showing a lot of things, after a period where he had already been very good at Lille. He is the prototype of the modern striker, he knows perfectly how to move outside and in the box. Osimhen managed to acquire this profile.” “He’s an almost impossible striker to scorerecognized Alessio Dionisi, the coach of Sassuolo, almost helpless. If you defend low, it’s very difficult to follow him. And if you defend high, he takes the depth and devours the spaces.”

For Careca, club legend, Osimhen scores goals like a certain … Pelé. For what ? “Quite simply because he performs gestures that only belong to great championshe answered the Sports Courier. And it’s not over, he still has impressive room for improvement. He’s fast, skillful, and now plays for the team. If he could have played in my Napoli? Yes, in number 9, with me slightly to the right and Maradona to the left, also with Giordano and Carnevale.” We will not do better level compliment.

A rising price, rising…

Today, the “SuperEagle” (23 caps, 15 goals with Nigeria) has everyone in Italy in agreement, including the most skeptical. His palette is almost complete. With both feet or head, from deep to his back-to-goal game, Osimhen can score anywhere, anytime and in any way. Head scorer against Spezia in early February, his jump was judged at 2.58 m from the ground. Two centimeters better than Cristiano Ronaldo who, in 2019, had already climbed very very high against Sampdoria. “It’s his yearwrote recently The Gazzetta dello Sport. He has become mature and diligent, becoming a true Napoli leader.” In England, the Daily Mail referred to him as “the best striker in the world today“on February 11. There is debate, of course. But the fact that it exists already says a lot about the progress of the former Mastiff.

Courted in particular by Manchester United according to the Italian press, Osimhen will not be let go by Napoli for less than 120 million euros, or even a little more … At the beginning of January, the local daily Il Mattino spoke rather of 160 million. “When you see the amounts of certain transfers, it’s not so utopian, is it?asks an intimate of Castel Volturno, the Neapolitan training center. Anyway, Victor is focused on the present and the current season, too important in view of the upcoming deadlines. His future is not at all on the agenda.”

Ideally, Aurelio De Laurentiis, the Neapolitan president, obviously wants to keep his superhero. “He is not for sale (…) Our players are highly courted, but we don’t need to sell anyone“, he announced in an interview with Bild. But he will not derogate from the club’s new policy (lower payroll, cost control and salary cap), especially in the event of new madness from England. “What is certain is that he will make Napoli a lot of money when they sell him“, has already planned Careca.