Football: Osimhen double sends Napoli into Champions League q-finals for first time
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Napoli forward Victor Osimhen (centre) scoring during the Champions League at the Diego Maradona stadium in Naples.
PHOTO: AFP
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NAPLES – Victor Osimhen says Napoli are dreaming of Champions League glory after his brace shot the Serie A leaders to a 3-0 win over Eintracht Frankfurt on Wednesday and into the quarter-finals for the first time in their history.
The Nigerian striker struck either side of half-time to ensure there was no slip-up in Naples and help his team secure a deserved 5-0 aggregate win.
Piotr Zielinski added Napoli’s third from the penalty spot on a perfect night at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona for southern Italy’s biggest club.
“It’s amazing to make history with this win,” said Osimhen.
“We will keep on dreaming, we have the squad to do so (win the Champions League).
“I think we are on the right path. We have a great coach.
“We will see what the future holds for us, but I think we have a good chance.”
Napoli – who are close to securing their first Serie A title in over three decades – are the third Italian team to advance to the last eight of Europe’s elite club competition this season, after Inter Milan and AC Milan.
They have been powered by the red-hot Osimhen, who has now netted 23 times in all competitions.
But coach Luciano Spalletti was less bullish about Napoli winning the Champions League than his star striker, replying with a curt “no” when asked if he was flattered by Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola saying his side were the best in Europe.
“It’s a game that people play to put pressure on other teams, it’s a game that everyone knows by now,” he said.
“We managed to reach a historical goal for Napoli but it is important to have the attitude we had tonight.”
Frankfurt were without suspended France forward Randal Kolo Muani following his sending-off in the first leg and the German Bundesliga outfit did very little to trouble Napoli.
Oliver Glasner’s side head out of the competition on a night in which their fans were involved in serious disorder after travelling to Naples despite no tickets being put on sale for away fans.
Frankfurt had decided to not take up their ticket allocation for the match after the Italian authorities produced two separate bans in a matter of days, fearing a repeat of the trouble in Germany before the first leg.
But that did not stop the club’s hardcore fans, who clashed with local police on a tense evening in Naples.
Footage in the Italian media from Tuesday also showed Napoli fans throwing objects at buses carrying Frankfurt fans, but around the stadium on Wednesday the atmosphere was less fraught.
On the pitch, Glasner admitted that his side were well and truly beaten and said Napoli could be compared to European powerhouses Bayern Munich.
“Napoli will win the Scudetto after more than 30 years, they’re incredibly solid defensively, they’ve got the best defence in Serie A,” he said.
“They are top class, like Bayern Munich.” AFP, REUTERS
