Three Italian Legends Disagree On Victor Osimhen’s Performance Against Barcelona

Three Italian football legends, Arigo Sacchi, Alessandro Del Piero, and Fabio Capello have jumped on the bashing Victor Osimhen has been subjected to since Napoli crashed out of the Champions League.

After Victor Osimhen helped Napoli to record a 1-1 draw with FC Barcelona in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League round of 16, he was expected to do more in the second leg of the tie on Tuesday, March 12.

Unfortunately, the 25-year-old Nigerian striker failed to score for Napoli in Spain as FC Barcelona knocked out the Italian champions 4-2 on aggregate.

Former Italy head coach, Arigo Sacchi wrote in his column for La Gazzetta dello Sport that Victor Osimhen and his strike partner, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia didn’t do much in the game.

“What surprised me the most was the little involvement of Kvara and Osimhen, the two most awaited players,” he wrote.

“Indeed, they didn’t get much service, but at the same time, they didn’t move much and they did it in the wrong way, so it was easy for opponents to stop them.”

In the same vein, former England head coach, Fabio Capello said during Sky Sport Italia’s post-match show that he was disappointed over Victor Osimhen’s performance against FC Barcelona.

“He was flagged offside six times in the first half and went unnoticed in the second half,” the former AC Milan manager said.

“It was not the same Osimhen we usually see. He struggled against Barcelona defenders and only won one aerial duel. Barcelona’s weak point was the defense, and he could not emerge.”

On the contrary, Juventus legend, Alessandro Del Piero has hailed Victor Osimhen’s attitude in a season the retired footballer believes has been a difficult one for the reigning Italian champions.

“You may feel down, but his [Osimhen’s] qualities are unquestionable,” Del Piero said according to Napoli Magazine.

“In general, he is in a very negative season for Napoli, and therefore, he has not faced everything that has happened in this season with a smile, but his attitude has always been positive.”