Napoli captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo has described Victor Osimhen as an important player after the striker scored to help the Italian side earn a draw against Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League round of 16 first leg.
In what was new manager Francesco Calzona’s debut game in charge after replacing Walter Mazzari, the Partenopei looked to be heading towards defeat before Osimhen stepped up to salvage a draw.
Robert Lewandowski’s 60th-minute strike put Barcelona in a deserved lead following a period of dominance, but the Nigerian forward ensured the spoils were shared, with his well-taken strike 15 minutes from time sealing a 1-1 draw.
Osimhen’s important strike means Napoli are still in the last 16 tie going into the second leg against Xavi’s side on March 12, 2024.
How important is Osimhen to Napoli?
Dissecting the game after coming from behind to hold Barcelona, Napoli captain Di Lorenzo described the team’s performance as very good.
“We gave a good performance. We’re making small steps forward. It’s all still to play for,” he said after the game.
“We were up against a team full of big names and we rose to the occasion. You could see what we’d been working on in the few hours before the match. We were solid. That’s a good starting point.”
Di Lorenzo also singled out Osimhen’s performance for praise, saying the whole team felt the presence of the striker against Barcelona.
“We obviously have to do lots more, but today gave us confidence. We could feel [Victor] Osimhen’s presence. He’s a great player and he showed that with his goal,” get added.
“He's a huge player for us.
“He's come back with the right attitude. We knew he would, though, as he's a great player and professional.
He'll give us a hand in the matches to come.
“Now we’ve got to continue working and giving our all match after match, then we’ll start thinking about the second leg.
“Nothing is decided yet. We want to keep playing until the very end.”
Osimhen makes goal-scoring return from AFCON 2024
Osimhen played in every game as Nigeria finished as runners-up in the just-ended Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON 2O24) in the Ivory Coast.
The 25-year-old scored in the Super Eagles’ opening group game against Equatorial Guinea but drew blanks in the subsequent matches, ending the tournament with just a single goal.
However, his overall performance was impressive, as he demonstrated his ability to play with his back to goal and hold up play against opponents.
Despite sitting out of last week’s Serie A game against Genoa, Osimhen made a goal-scoring return on his first start for Napoli after finding the back of the net against Barcelona in the Champions League.
Meanwhile, like Di Lorenzo, many Napoli fans would be hoping that the club’s struggles would be halted following Osimhen’s return, with the Partenopei currently sitting in ninth position.
