Date: February 25, 2024
In Napoli’s recent 1-1 draw against Cagliari in Serie A, Victor Osimhen once again showcased his goal-scoring prowess. This comes after his participation in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations and his return to action in the UEFA Champions League, where he scored against Barcelona in the first leg of the round of 16.
Osimhen continued his impressive form by opening the scoring against Cagliari in the 66th minute. He connected with Giacomo Raspadori’s cross and headed the ball into the net, securing his eighth league goal of the season and his 10th in all competitions. Remarkably, this is the sixth consecutive season in which Osimhen has reached double-digit goals.
What makes Osimhen’s performance even more noteworthy is his proficiency in scoring headed goals. Since joining Napoli from Lille in the 2020-21 season, Osimhen has scored 18 headed goals in the league. This places him second in Europe’s top five leagues, with only Harry Kane surpassing him with 24 headed goals.
This stat puts Osimhen ahead of several renowned forwards in European football, including Erling Haaland, Robert Lewandowski, Kylian Mbappe, Darwin Nunez, Romelu Lukaku, Lautaro Martinez, and Antoine Griezmann.
However, there are concerns about Osimhen’s fitness level as he was substituted in the closing minutes of the game against Cagliari due to discomfort. Napoli manager Francesco Calzona downplayed the seriousness of the injury, attributing it to fatigue from Osimhen’s recent participation in AFCON 2023.
Napoli currently finds themselves in ninth place in the Serie A table, quite a distance away from the top four and a significant 29 points behind the league leaders.
Victor Osimhen’s exceptional goal-scoring ability, particularly in aerial situations, has set him apart from some of Europe’s most prominent forwards. As Napoli aims to improve their position in the league, they will be relying on Osimhen’s continued contributions to lead them to success.
