Will the Napoli boss resist the temptation to revert to what worked vs AC Milan and Roma by starting the confident forward against the Old Lady?
For clubs in excellent form, the international break arrives with a sense of dread given the threat of their impetus being halted, while it’s the opposite feeling for sides either playing poorly or failing to get results.
To some extent, this also applies to players and Victor Osimhen is no different.
Despite Napoli’s growing momentum before the hiatus, the striker endured a frustratingly stop-start run in the side since the turn of the year and was left out of Gennaro Gattuso’s starting line-ups for important victories over AC Milan and AS Roma.
Even though he’d ended an extended run without scoring against Bologna prior to the aforementioned fixtures, the Milan icon felt his team’s best chance of success at the time was to play without the frontman they’d invested so heavily on in the summer.
While critics may have questioned the choice, it was Gattuso’s prerogative owing to the pressure he’s under to win games.
The end, after all, justified the means, and the Azzurri concluded the pre-international break gameweek second in the form table picking up 13 points from an available 15 since their Europa League exit in late February — only champions-elect Inter Milan won more points in the same period in Serie A.
🗣️ “Osimhen can make the same impact as Maradona” 😲
What did you make of this comment from Amaju Pinnick?
🎧🎙️ @EddyDove & @AfricanFtblHQhttps://t.co/AQKEl5z3EW pic.twitter.com/z5Jxkw5BSx
— Goal Africa (@GoalAfrica) July 30, 2020
Away with the Nigeria squad, though, Osimhen got 90 minutes against Benin before featuring for 75 in the following 3-0 success over Lesotho in Lagos.
After an encouraging showing in Porto-Novo that only lacked a goal, the 22-year-old netted and assisted in the latter fixture to end joint-top scorer in Afcon qualifying with five goals.
Setting up Oghenekaro Etebo’s goal took him to as many assists, 10 goal contributions in total, and while this pleased passionate Nigerians, the performances ought to have been equally gratifying for his club manager who had to be excited with the improved sharpness.
The upswing led to an expectation that starting Napoli’s number nine was needs must against the division’s cellar-dwelling side, Crotone. He didn’t disappoint, either, netting one of the home side’s four goals in the exciting 4-3 success.
While Osimhen & Simy have had contrasting campaigns at Napoli & Crotone respectively, both frontmen sit at opposite ends of the Serie A table.
Previewed this afternoon’s encounter which could have ramifications for both strikers & their respective sides.https://t.co/bEh8bZtRSK
— Seye Omidiora (@theReal_SeyE) April 3, 2021
While countryman, Simy, won the individual battle between the pair, Osimhen’s supreme keenness was rewarded with him scoring in successive games at the Diego Armanda Maradona Stadium for the first time since his big-money move from Lille.
Admittedly, the Pythagoreans’ defensive record (they’d conceded a staggering 70 before Saturday) means they were there for the taking, it was something of a personal win for the Nigerian that his manager played him from the off for the first time since late February and only for the third time in the new year.
While outgoing champions Juventus are a different kettle of fish, the frontman will feel his improved physical condition and sharpness in the box should convince his boss to utilise him from the start on Wednesday.
There’s been a quick turnaround for the West African since victories at San Siro and Rome, and even though there might be a temptation to go with the approach that secured six important points in the race for Champions League qualification, dropping your record signing at present sends the wrong message and is hardly justifiable owing to his improvement in the last fortnight or so.
His intelligent movement to tap home Lorenzo Insigne’s unorthodox, improvised assist highlighted the recent shift in the frontman, while he was quick off the mark to latch on to Matteo Politano’s pass only to be denied his brace by Alex Cordaz’s save.
Osimhen recorded his highest expected goals against Crotone (1.1) since his season-peak of 1.4 xG vs Sassuolo in November and his most impressive since the turn of the year. His three shot-creating actions was his maximum involvement in 2021 and only two behind his highest of the campaign — the impressive debut against Parma in September.
Despite the weakness of Crotone, both suggest Napoli’s number nine was getting into goalscoring positions and was equally involved in open play.
Dropping him in what has potentially become a make-or-break encounter to secure CL football next season vs an unrecognisable Juventus will be a real kick in the teeth.
Even though the Old Lady expected the transition under Andrea Pirlo to be accompanied by growing pains, the club’s hierarchy probably never thought ending in the top four will be under threat.
Avoidable mistakes in possession have characterised the last few weeks, a consequence of their attempt to play differently, and pressure on their green boss to prioritise wins in the short term continues to increase.
The damaging 1-0 defeat by struggling Benevento and error-strewn 2-2 draw with Torino at the weekend — coupled with Atalanta and Napoli’s run of victories — leaves the Turin side requiring consistency in the final 10 games to avoid falling out of the Champions League spots for the first time since 2011.
Fourth-placed Juventus sit two points adrift of Atalanta (58 points) and are level with Gattuso’s team going into Wednesday’s long-awaited encounter in Turin. The fixture ought to have held in early October, but Napoli didn’t turn up at the Juventus Stadium after local health authorities prohibited the Azzurri from travelling due to a mild COVID-19 outbreak in the side.
Osimhen was going to feature in that postponed gameweek three meeting, however, events since November with injuries and coronavirus have tainted his opening year in Naples.
The upswing in the last fortnight hints at a return to the forward’s early-season performances and Gattuso has to retain belief in Nigeria’s most expensive player in Turin as his star striker aims to end an underwhelming year on a high.