Napoli goalkeeper Alex Meret has waxed lyrical about Victor Osimhen following the striker’s goal-scoring return against Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League.
Osimhen played his first game for the Italian side since departing for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON 2024) in early January.
However, the Nigeria international didn’t need any time to settle, as he got straight back to business by cancelling out Robert Lewandowski’s strike to ensure the round of 16 first-leg game between the two teams ended 1-1 on Wednesday, February 21, 2024.
Meret believes his teammates did very well to shut out Barcelona’s attack, describing the Champions League encounter as evenly balanced.
Meret eulogises special Osimhen
The Napoli goalkeeper was also impressed with Osimhen’s output on his first game since featuring at the AFCON and labelled the striker as special.
Meret was, however, quick to add that the players who came on in the second half also contributed to renewing the energy of the side when they took on Barcelona.
“I’m happy because we managed to hold Barcelona back in the first half an hour. We had the right attitude,” the 26-year-old Italy international said.
“It’s a shame about the goal we conceded because it was an equal match. Thanks to Victor [Osimhen]’s goal, we managed to level the scores.
“Osimhen is special to us, but even those who were subbed on in the second half brought new energy into the game.
“We’ve got to start again from the positive aspects we showed tonight. We need to work to continue down this path and improve.”
Osimhen transfer? Napoli future still in doubt
Meanwhile, it remains unknown whether Osimhen will stay at Napoli beyond the current season after he recently stated that his future was already decided.
Although the 25-year-old’s statement was vague, it was widely interpreted as him angling for a move away from the Italian champions.
In recent weeks, various reports have linked the Super Eagles to Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain, with some Saudi Arabian clubs also said to be monitoring his situation.
