Smalling and Osimhen have faced each other in the Serie A a few times, and the Englishman has had some embarrassing moments
AS Roma defender Chris Smalling has stated that it is difficult to defend against Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen because of his pace and strength, Soccernet.ng reports.
Osimhen has enjoyed a wonderful campaign with Napoli. The Super Eagles striker has scored 28 goals in 38 appearances for the Partenopeans, helping them to their first Scudetto since 1990.
This season, the Nigerian striker has proven to be a force in the league. He has scored some match-winning goals, one of which came against Roma in the first half of the season.
Osimhen showed his strength, getting the ball off Smalling who was in a favorable position and sent a wicked shot past Rui Patricio to help Napoli win 1-0.
Osimhen also scored a worldie against Roma in the reverse fixture in January. Smalling featured in both games, and he was outclassed in both.
He explained his difficulty playing against Osimhen in an interview on Star Casino Sport. The former Manchester defender revealed that defending against Osimhen is difficult because of his speed and strength.
“Vlahovic and Osimhen are the toughest to defend against in Italy,” Smalling told Star Casino Sport per Napoli Magazine.
“Both have strength, technique, and speed. They can keep quiet for 89 minutes then they just need one chance to punish you. They will certainly have a great career.”
Osimhen is currently the highest goalscorer in the league. If he can maintain his place at the summit, he will become the first African to win the Copacannoniere.
