Back in business! Osimhen makes return as Hellas Verona hold Napoli

Osimhen missed Napoli’s last three games, but he returned to action against Hellas Verona and his presence was felt

Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen returned to action for Napoli in their 0-0 draw against Hellas Verona at the Stadio Diego Maradona Soccernet.ng reports.

Osimhen sustained an injury while on international duty with Nigeria last month. Because of the setback, he missed Napoli’s last three games. He missed the Partenopeans’ 4-0 loss to AC Milan in Serie A, and their 2-1 win against Lecce, before missing their 1-0 loss to AC Milan in the quarterfinal of the UEFA Champions League last week.

However, he returned to action when Napoli welcomed Hellas Verona to Stadio Diego Maradona on Saturday.

Coach Luciano Spalletti opted to introduce the Super Eagles star into the game in the 70th minute. Osimhen made his presence felt immediately. It was goalless when he entered the game, but his runs and physicality gave the Hellas Verona defenders problems.

Osimhen could have scored late on in the game, but his wicked shot just hit the woodwork. It ended all square after 90 minutes.

The bigger picture

Osimhen got just 20 minutes of play against Hellas Verona because he just returned from an injury.

However, he would surely lead the line when Napoli welcome AC Milan for the second leg of their UEFA Champions League quarterfinal tie.

The Partenopeans have looked toothless without their Nigerian talisman. They registered 15 shots against AC Milan in the first leg, but they could not score. It was the first time this season that Napoli would register that number of attempts without scoring.

But with Osimhen back, Spalletti would hope that his team gets the cutting edge that has been one of their characteristics this season.

However, Osimhen has never scored against AC Milan since he arrived in Italy. Still, this is a season that the Nigerian striker has broken many personal records. He could be the x-factor for Napoli.