In the wake of Napoli’s exit from the UEFA Champions League, former Italy head coach Arigo Sacchi didn’t mince words in his assessment of Victor Osimhen’s display during their encounter against Barcelona on Tuesday night.
The Serie A champions bid farewell to the prestigious tournament after suffering a 3-1 defeat at the hands of Xavi’s men, sealing their fate with a 4-2 aggregate loss in the Round of 16 contest.
Osimhen’s performance on Tuesday in the return fixture left much to be desired.
The Nigerian striker found himself outmuscled by Barcelona’s youngster Pau Cubarsi, failing to make a significant impact on the game.
Despite the opportunity to turn the tide, Osimhen managed only one shot on target throughout the entirety of the match.
“What surprised me the most was the little involvement of Kvara and Osimhen, the two most awaited players,” Sacchi wrote in his column for La Gazzetta dello Sport.
“It’s true that they didn’t get much service, but at the same time, they didn’t move much and they did it in the wrong way, so it was easy for opponents to stop them.”
Osimhen scored two goals in six Champions league matches for Napoli this season.