Osimhen’s Napoli lose Champions League ticket to Ronaldo’s Juventus

The Nigerian youngster will not be playing Champions League football next season

Victor Osimhen will not be a part of next season’s UEFA Champions League after Napoli managed a disappointing 1-1 draw at home to Hellas Verona to finish the 2020/21 Serie A season outside of the top four.

Gennaro Gattuso’s men went into the final match of the season with their destiny in their own hands.

Seated in fourth one point above Juventus in fifth, the Naples-based club knew a win of any kind would guarantee their spot among Europe’s elite next campaign.

And after a goalless hour of football at the Diego Maradona Stadium that saw Osimhen kept relatively quiet, the Nigerian forward showed good awareness to set up Amir Rahmani, who then put the home side in front and on course for a vital win.

But Marco Davide Faraoni struck the equaliser for Verona nine minutes later to break the hearts of everyone associated with Napoli.

And Juventus capitalised on that slip to jump above Napoli into fourth on the league table with a 4-1 win at Bologna.

Ronaldo didn’t make it off the bench, but Federico Chiesa’s early strike, Alvaro Morata’s double, and Adrien Rabiot’s excellent finish handed all the three points and the last Champions League spot to the Old Ladies.

Osimhen finished his maiden Serie A season with ten goals and three assists in 24 league matches, 16 of which were starts.