Osimhen Misses Penalty, Injured as Napoli Hammer Liverpool 4-1
*Lewandowski grabs hat trick in first UCL match for Barcelona
Duro Ikhazuagbe
Nigeria and Napoli forward, Victor Osimhen, missed a penalty as the Italian Serie A leaders hammered Liverpool 4-1 in a UEFA Champions League clash in Naples last night.
Osimhen missed the spot kick clumsily in the 18th minute. That kick would have added to Napoli’s lead after Piotr Zielinski had given the Italian side the lead in the fifth minute.
Andre Frank Anguissa (31), Giovanni Simeone (44) and Zielinski (47) contributed the other three goals that have now raised fears in football circles that Jurgen Klopp may become the next topflight manager to be fired.
Speaking on social media last night, Osimhen dismissed fears that he may not be available for Nigeria’s friendly games due to the injury that forced him to be substituted almost at the tail end of the first half.
He admitted going out of the game just for precautionary reasons. Osimhen said he didn’t pull his hamstring either. This explains why he could walk when substituted.
The Napoli talisman promised to be back at the most in two weeks.
Elsewhere on the night, Robert Lewandowski warmed up for next week’s meeting with former club Bayern Munich by scoring a magnificent hat-trick in Barcelona’s crushing Champions League win over Viktoria Plzen.
The 34-year-old Poland forward demonstrated his value by making it eight goals in five games since leaving Bayern in July.
Lewandowski, who helped Bayern win the competition in 2019-20, marked his first Champions League appearance for Barca with a clinical finish which doubled the lead after Franck Kessie had headed the hosts ahead.
He then made it 3-1 on the stroke of half-time with a header after Ousmane Dembele did well to win back possession before producing a fine cross.
RESULTS
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
Ajax 4-0 Rangers
Napoli 4-1 Liverpool
Atletico 2-1 FC Porto
C’Brugge 1-0 Leverkusen
Barcelona 5-1 V’Plzen
Inter 0-2 Bayern Munich
E’Frankfurt 0-3 Sporting
Tottenham 2-0 Marseille
