UCL: Arigho Sacchi criticizes Victor Osimhen’s display in Napoli’s defeat to Barcelona

By Wale Mustapha

Former Italy national team coach, Arigho Sacchi, didn’t hold back in his assessment of Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen following Napoli’s loss to Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League clash on Tuesday.

Barcelona secured a 3-1 victory over the Serie A champions in Spain, advancing to the quarterfinals with a 4-2 aggregate scoreline.

While Osimhen had scored Napoli’s lone goal in the first leg, his performance in the reverse fixture left much to be desired, managing just one shot on target against a determined Barcelona defense.

Expressing his disappointment with the team’s display, Sacchi singled out Osimhen and Kvitcha Kvaratchelia for criticism in the defeat.

“What surprised me the most was the lack of involvement from Kvaratchelia and Osimhen, the two most anticipated players. They didn’t receive much service, but their movement was lacking, making it easy for opponents to nullify their threat,” Sacchi wrote in his column for La Gazzetta dello Sport.

With their Champions League journey cut short, Napoli will now turn their focus to finishing high in the Serie A standings.