Is Victor Osimhen’s near-perfect performance against Juventus the best of his career?

The Nigeria worldwide has produced some wonderful shows for membership and nation since waving goodbye to worldwide youth soccer in 2015, however how good was his efficiency versus the Outdated Girl? 

Victor Osimhen and strike associate Khvicha Kvaratskhelia have been the celebrities of the present as Napoli utterly outclassed Juventus on the Diego Maradona Stadium on Friday.

Osimhen grabbed two objectives and an help whereas the Georgian playmaker bagged a aim and two assists to encourage Napoli to a complete 5-1 win over the guests.

The Nigerian striker had been tipped to battle in opposition to a Juventus defence marshalled by infamous Brazilian centre-back Gleison Bremer.

However Osimhen wanted solely quarter-hour to shake off his marker and nod house the opening aim for Napoli after goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny parried Kvaratskhelia’s preliminary effort.

Twenty-four minutes later, the Tremendous Eagles attacker turned supplier as he laid the ball on for Kvaratskhelia to plant a first-time shot past the attain of the Juventus goalie.

Osimhen accomplished his brace within the sixty fifth minute, ghosting between two defenders to move house Napoli’s fourth aim of the night and seal a memorable win.  

However is Osimhen’s wonderful efficiency in opposition to Juventus one of the best in his profession?

Victor Osimhen’s profession since making his breakthrough at Royal Sporting Charleroi has been plagued by a number of sensible particular person shows.

There was that gorgeous late brace on the Stade du Pays de Charleroi in 2018 that helped flip round a 2-1 deficit in opposition to Zulte Waregem to a 3-2 triumph.

Osimhen’s debut for Lille additionally stays memorable. The striker not solely ran the centre-back pairing of Molla Wague and Nicolas Pallois ragged, however he additionally topped his effort with a brace that lifted Lille to a 2-1 victory over Nantes.

There have been quite a few related one-man showings since Osimhen moved to Naples in 2020.

Not a lot was made out of Osimhen’s gorgeous show within the second half of Napoli’s 3-0 win over Bayern Munich in a pleasant at no different venue than the Allianz Enviornment.

Even his two exceptional second-half strikes in opposition to Leicester Metropolis within the Europa League in 2021 generated vital buzz regardless of it solely incomes Napoli a 2-2 draw on the King Energy Stadium.

The Tremendous Eagles striker has, nevertheless, been a special beast this season for membership and nation.

Osimhen scored 4 objectives for the primary time in his profession as Nigeria pummelled Sao Tome and Principe in June. However the Islanders are minnows even by African soccer requirements.

The previous Wolfsburg signing scored the profitable aim in Napoli’s unforgettable battle at Roma in October and adopted that up together with his first membership hattrick within the 4-0 defeat of Sassuolo.

Osimhen has since produced goalscoring performances in wins over Atalanta, Udinese, and Sampdoria however none of these sides have the fame of Juventus.

Juventus arrived in Naples on Friday as Serie A’s number-one in-form workforce. The Outdated Girl had gained every of their final eight league matches and had extremely climbed to second within the league, placing behind them a horrible begin to the marketing campaign.

Much more remarkably, Juventus gained every of these video games with out conceding a aim, and for sure, they boasted one of the best defence within the Italian high flight.

Effectively, that was till Juventus met the unstoppable Nigerian bomber on Friday night time, with Osimhen making certain the previous champions conceded 5 objectives in a Serie A match for the primary time since 1993.

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Is Osimhen Africa’s greatest striker?

In the meanwhile, no different African striker in Europe’s high 5 leagues has discovered the again of the web extra instances than Osimhen.

Along with his brace in opposition to Juventus, Osimhen now has 12 objectives in solely 14 Serie A matches this time period, 4 greater than his closest challengers in Italy.

It’s the fifth consecutive season that Osimhen will hit a double determine of league objectives in Europe, having managed 12 for Sporting Charleroi (2018/2019), 13 for Lille (2019/2020), and ten and 14 in his two earlier campaigns at Napoli.

Osimhen’s upward trajectory is obvious for all to see and it’s only a matter of time earlier than the teenager turns into not solely Africa’s greatest but additionally the continent’s most respected participant.

At €80 million, Liverpool’s 30-year-old ahead Mohamed Salah is the one African star extra valued than Osimhen’s €70 million.

All that would change as quickly as this summer time ought to Osimhen elevate the Italian Serie A title with Napoli and seal a much-anticipated file transfer to the English Premier League.

And even his worst critics would look again at his brilliance on nights like these in opposition to Juventus and admit that he deserved any applause that will come his method at the moment.