Barcelona defender Joao Cancelo has labelled Victor Osimhen as one of the best strikers in the world at the moment.
The Portugal international has already faced Osimhen once and will again come up against the Nigerian striker when Barcelona host Napoli in the second leg of the UEFA Champions League round of 16 on Tuesday, February 12, 2024.
The spoils were shared during first leg between the two teams at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium, with Osimhen cancelling out Robert Lewandowski’s 60th-minute strike.
The 25-year-old was kept at bay for much of the game by Barcelona’s defence but he still managed to produce one magical moment when he shrugged off Inigo Martinez’s challenge before slotting the ball past Marc-Andre ter Stegen to snatch a draw for Francesco Calzona’s side.
Osimhen one of the best strikers in the world
Having been impressed by Osimhen’s tenacity and prolificacy, Cancelo said Barcelona must be wary of the Napoli striker in the second leg.
The Nigeria international made a slow start to the season but has picked up in recent weeks after helping his country to a runners-up finish at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON 2024) in the Ivory Coast.
Since returning from the AFCON, Osimhen has scored five goals in five matches for Napoli and will be key to the Partenopei’s chances of advancing to the next stage of the Champions League.
But despite describing Osimhen as one of the best strikers in the world, Cancelo believes Napoli have other equally talented players who can hurt any side.
“And Politano? They are exceptional talents, Osimhen scored with half the ball in the first leg, he is one of the best strikers in the world,” the right-back told La Gazzetta dello Sport, as quoted by Il Napolista.
“But there's more: I like Zielinski who can't play because he's not on the list, and Lobotka, I faced him with Portugal and he's a great player.”
Osimhen reaches 100 Serie A matches
Meanwhile, Osimhen continues to etch his name in Napoli and Italian football folklore after making his 100th appearance in Serie A last Friday.
The Nigerian striker became a centurion when he featured in Napoli’s 1-1 league draw with Torino. Since joining the Partenopei in 2020, Osimhen has achieved significant success both on a personal and team level.
He became the first African top scorer in Serie A last season, with his 26 goals propelling Napoli to their first league title in 33 years. He is also now part of an exclusive list of elite players who have scored more than 60 goals in their first 100 matches in the Italian league.
Osimhen has so far managed 61 goals in 100 games for Napoli. By contrast, Cristiano Ronaldo found the back of the net 81 times in his first 100 Serie A matches.
Gonzalo Higuain netted 65 goals, Andriy Shevchenko 64, Vincenzo Montella 64 and David Trezeguet 63 after playing 100 matches in the Italian topflight.
Osimhen’s impressive form for Napoli has also seen him linked with a move away from the club in the summer, with Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain and some Saudi Arabian clubs mooted as possible destinations.
The former Lille forward, who has scored 13 goals and provided four assists this season, would not come cheap, though, after Napoli inserted a release clause of around €120 million when he extended his contract last December.
