Osimhen is back as Napoli, Milan chase CL glory
Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen and French keeper Mike Maignan will face off for a place in the Champions League semi-finals today when AC Milan travel south to Naples for the decisive second leg of the all-Italian quarter-final.
Osimhen hadn’t played for Napoli since the last international break before making a substitute’s appearance in Saturday’s goalless draw with Verona which cut his side’s imposing Serie A lead to 14 points, AFP reported.
Osimhen’s devastating efficiency in front of goal was sorely missed in last week’s single-goal defeat which gave Milan a slender advantage to take into Tuesday’s showdown at the Stadio Maradona.
“Osimhen has such a physical presence and speed you can chuck the ball at him and he’ll hold onto it, use his head or unleash a change of pace. He has so many different options when he has the ball,” Napoli coach Luciano Spalletti said on Saturday.
Napoli wasted a host of chances to get something from the game at a packed and soaking wet San Siro in which Maignan produced the sort of display which has made him a natural successor to Hugo Lloris as Les Bleus’ goalkeeper.
The 27-year-old’s return between the sticks in late February following five months out injured has given Milan more security at the back, with five clean sheets in their last nine matches in all competitions.
His superb stop in the dying seconds on Wednesday denied Giovanni Di Lorenzo from giving Napoli, at that point down to 10 men following the harsh sending off of Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa, what would have been a deserved draw.
Former Milan manager Fabio Capello said Maignan was Milan’s best player in the first leg and the seven-time European champions will need him in similar form today if they are to have a chance of winning number eight.
While 25-goal Osimhen will be back in Naples, Spalletti will have to do without Anguissa and South Korean defensive revelation Kim Min-jae, who is suspended.
What Napoli lose on the pitch they will gain off it however, as hardcore supporters agreed a truce in their feud with owner Aurelio De Laurentiis which had made the atmosphere at Napoli’s recent home matches toxic.
Supporters made a colossal racket on Saturday and will no doubt make the Stadio Maradona a seething cauldron for possibly the biggest match in Napoli’s history.