Why Napoli’s Victor Osimhen could tear newly promoted Venezia to shreds

After a thoroughly enjoyable pre-season for Victor Osimhen, facing Venezia on Sunday could be exactly what the Napoli frontman needs to start the 2021/21 season.

Of course, it’ll be remiss to underrate the newly-promoted side on Sunday, given how football intermittently throws up curveballs and unexpected results. Having said that, the Azzurri’s most expensive signing certainly relishes tearing the visitors from Venice apart.

Indeed, the frontman has been a beneficiary of Luciano Spalletti’s inclination to get the best out of central strikers, but he now needs to carry that form in Napoli’s friendlies into his second season at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium.

Osimhen netted four times in a 12-0 win over Anaunia, the winner in a 1-0 success over Serie C club Pro Vercelli, a two-minute brace in the 3-0 hammering of Bayern last time out on the Bundesliga giants’ turf and in their final match of pre-season — a 4-0 success over Pescara.

Without a doubt, supporters of the Naples outfit will hope the frontman’s output increases significantly as they long for a return to the Champions League after a two-year absence.

Spalletti has praised the West African intermittently so far, notably also pointing out an area of perceived weakness in the young marksman.

“Osimhen is a striker who has the ability to transform every ball that comes his way into chances,” Spalletti told the club’s website in July. “He is a very generous player who runs a lot and now and then this intensity can cause him some mistakes, but he is an important player, complete and we aim a lot on him.”

Despite a mixed first season, hampered by injury and coronavirus, the Super Eagle still netted 10 Serie A strikes in 16 starts (24 appearances in total).

Interestingly, reaching double figures in the Italian top flight last season meant the frontman became one of the youngest to hit double figures in two successive campaigns — he notched up 13 goals in his only season with Lille. Only Erling Haaland (born in 2000) is younger than Osimhen (born in 1998) among the Top-five European Leagues players to have scored 10+ goals in each of the last two campaigns.

Seven of the Nigerian’s return came in the final weeks of the season, a tally outdone by only Fiorentina’s Dusan Vlahovic, who scored nine times from April onwards.

Venezia visit Naples on Sunday night, and Spalletti and Osimhen will reckon the new boys are there for the taking. The Partenopei are unbeaten in 10 of their 12 Serie A games with the Venice outfit, returning to the top division for the first time in 19 years.

Having picked up three points in their last four matches in gameweek one, the hosts would fancy their chances of making that five on the spin; potentially equalling a record they set between 1985 and 1989.

The side they welcome seldom fare well in their opening game, picking up maximum points in one of their last 12 encounters.

Having narrowly ended just outside the Champions League spots in 2020/21, Spalletti will desire a strong showing on Sunday night.

As for Osimhen, following a pre-season that bodes well for year two in Italy, a continuation of that scoring spree will be just what the doctor ordered as he looks to silence critics who believe Napoli overspent on a player of his undoubted goalscoring talent.

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Seye Omidiora is a passionate football writer and pundit whose deep appreciation for the beautiful game exceeds the usual. He is currently a columnist for Goal Africa and has previously written for Vital Football UK, IBCity Info and Opera News.

Follow him on Twitter @theReal_SeyE

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