Easy Victor-y powers Napoli into UCL quarters

Mueez Ajao

– Napoli forward Victor Osimhen struck either side of the break to steer the Italians to a comfortable 3-0 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt on Wednesday and into the Champions League quarterfinals for the first time.

– The 24-year-old Nigeria international, who also scored in their 2-0 win over Eintracht in Germany, scored with a header in first-half stoppage time.

– Osimhen bagged his 23rd goal in 28 matches in all competitions this season with a tap-in after a quick four-pass Napoli combination in the 53rd minute before Piotr Zielinski converted a penalty to secure a 5-0 aggregate win.

28 games this season, 23 goals.
4 goals in Champions League.
Victor Osimhen’s flying! 🔵🚀 #UCL pic.twitter.com/BSfRnFPen7
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) March 15, 2023

Also Read: Napoli daring to dream of UCL glory with 1st leg win at Frankfurt

– Prior to the game fighting broke out in the Italian city as fans set a police car on fire and threw stones at buses and police.

– Italian authorities had banned German fans from attending the game amid concerns about possible violence, but some Eintracht supporters made the trip to Italy anyway.

– It was peaceful inside the Diego Maradona stadium and the hosts were in control from the start.

– Khvicha Kvaratskhelia went close with a mazy run into the box in the 19th minute and the Georgian was denied again in the 43rd with keeper Kevin Trapp kicking the winger’s close-range shot wide.

– Osimhen opened the scoring in first-half stoppage time after being given far too much space in the box to rise high and head in a measured Matteo Politano cross.

– That meant Europa League champions Frankfurt needed three goals, but they struggled against a well-drilled Napoli defence, with their two top strikers strikers — suspended Randal Kolo Muani and injured Jesper Lindstrom — missing.

– They were also under pressure from Napoli’s relentless pressing game and it was Osimhen who scored again. He tapped in from close range to kill off any hopes of a German comeback, becoming the first Napoli player to score in both legs of a Champions League knockout match.