UCL Quarter-final Preview: Osimhen Returns

Osimhen will return for Napoli against AC Milan hoping to push his team into a first-ever semi-final appearance while Chelsea’s scattergun season should end at Stamford Bridge

Napoli v AC Milan (0-1) @Diego Maradona Stadium @8 pm on 18 April

The main narrative before the first leg was the absence of Napoli’s leading goal scorer, Victor Osimhen,

The Nigerian returned for Napoli at the weekend, and though he did not make it a scoring return, the sight of Osimhen replacing Giacomo Raspadori in the 73rd minute has given Neapolitans the belief they can overturn the 1-0 deficit suffered away to AC Milan last week.

In his five UCL games this season, Osimhen has scored three times, including two goals against Eintracht Frankfurt in the second round. He will be more driven than usual because he hasn’t scored this year against the Milan team.

Absences have hampered Napoli in their preparations for this tie-in the first they were missing Osimhen and Giovanni Simeone, for the second leg, Luciano Spalletti has to find adequate cover for the very reliable central defender Kim Min-Jae and midfield workaholic Andre Zambo Anguissa.

The UEFA website reveals what the AC Milan manager did to quell Napoli’s buildup. “The Milan coach had a few brilliant tactical ideas in the two recent fixtures against Napoli, particularly using Ismaël Bennacer as a ‘false’ attacking midfielder to mark Napoli’s deep-lying playmaker Stanislav Lobotka.”

What the managers are saying:

“It’s down to us as a team to play with the desire to try to turn this game around. The atmosphere is going to be great, but it’s down to us to excite the crowd because they can help us. We need to play our part.” – Frank Lampard, Chelsea caretaker Manager

“We are fine, motivated, as always. These are important matches in an important competition. We are thinking that we have to play a full game. We have 90 minutes left and in this type of competition, anything can happen. We are ready to play the best we can.” – Carlo Ancelotti, Real Madrid Manager