Osimhen Eyes 65th Napoli Goal
Victor Osimhen will aim to continue his newfound goalscoring run of form with another goal in the UEFA Champions League when Napoli host record winners Real Madrid at the Diego Maradona stadium on Tuesday.
The Nigerian striker scored in back-to-back games for the Partenopei in their Serie A wins over Udinese and Lecce since his TikTok row with the club and will hope his goal(s) will make the difference when they face the Los Blancos for a fifth time in the history of the competition.
Osimhen has scored 64 times making 15 assists for Napoli in 109 games across all competition since completing his record €70m – an African record – three years ago from Lille.
Napoli have lost three of their last four against Real Madrid, with their only draw coming in the 1987/88 first round, second leg tie in Naples.
The 24-year-old will also seek to add to his tally in the Champions League against Real Madrid. The former Lille and Sporting Charleroi striker has scored five times and will look to equal Ahmed Musa’s scoring record (six goals) in the competition.
Obafemi Martins leads the top-scoring chart for Nigerians in the Champions League including qualifying with 10 goals. The quartet Julius Aghahowa, Emmanuel Emenike, Victor Ikpeba and Ayegbeni Yakubu are joint second having scored seven goals each.
Speaking ahead of the game, Napoli captain, Giovanni Di Lorenzo has warned Real Madrid insisting Osimhen ‘hasn’t changed.
The Italy international spoke at a press conference on the eve of Tuesday’s Champions League game.
“It is a game we must play, this competition is Real Madrid’s home, they’ve won the trophy many times, but we are ready, we play at home, so the stadium will be full and we’ll do our best to cause trouble for them,” he said.
“We know we face a strong side, but we are ready. It will be thrilling.
“Nothing has changed for us. Osimhen’s relationships inside the dressing room, his behaviour and his desire to give the best for this team has not changed.
“He Osimhen is always available for his teammates, as you saw in the game (against Lecce). To us, he is the same Osimhen. A great player who gives his best and will continue doing the same tomorrow.”
Despite Di Lorenzo’s comments, several Italian reports claim Osimhen’s Napoli future remains uncertain despite his latest Instagram message.
The striker did not mention the club directly in his message to the club fans on Sunday and didn’t mention his future at the Stadio Maradona.
The striker’s deal runs out in June 2025, and his agent has yet to reach an agreement with the Partenopei despite months of negotiations.
