Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen. Photo: Super Eagles
Lille head coach Davide Ancelotti has warned that his side must work collectively to contain Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen when they face Galatasaray in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday, acknowledging the Nigerian’s ability to influence a match, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
Ancelotti stressed that stopping the former Lille forward would require a collective defensive effort rather than relying on an individual player, recalling the striker’s impact during his time at Napoli.
“We stop him as a team. It doesn’t depend on one player; it always depends on the team,” Ancelotti was quoted as saying by French outlet Le Petit Lillois.
“He’s a player who, in Naples, almost single-handedly won the Scudetto,” he added.
The Lille coach also warned that Galatasaray possess considerable individual quality and experience in European competition, insisting his players must remain alert in both attack and defence.
“We know his potential, we know we always have to be vigilant when attacking and when defending,” he said.
“We know they’re a team with a lot of individual quality, with players who have a lot of experience in this competition, who know it well. We always have to be vigilant.”
Osimhen returns to familiar territory for the encounter, having played for Lille during the 2019/20 season before completing a move to Napoli in 2020. He scored 18 goals in 38 appearances for the French club.
The Nigerian striker has made an impressive start to the current campaign with Galatasaray, recording six goals and three assists in seven appearances across all competitions, according to the figures provided in the original report. However, he has gone without a goal or assist in his last two outings against Barcelona and Gençlerbirliği.
He will be eager to rediscover his scoring touch against his former club and open his Champions League goal account for the campaign as Galatasaray seek a positive result in France.
The encounter has also attracted attention over security concerns following violent unrest in Lille. French newspaper Le Parisien reported that Galatasaray sought assurances from UEFA about the safety of its delegation ahead of the fixture.
However, reports indicate that the club sought security guarantees rather than a postponement or change of venue. The match is scheduled to go ahead at Lille’s Stade Pierre-Mauroy on Wednesday (today).