Galatasaray assistant coach Ismael García believes Victor Osimhen has the qualities to cause Barcelona serious problems when the two sides meet in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday.
The Super Eagles striker is expected to return to competitive action after recovering from injury. His presence hands Galatasaray a significant boost ahead of their league-phase encounter against the Spanish giants.
Barcelona head into the contest as favourites following their perfect start to the season. The Catalans sealed their eight league win in eight games with a 3-0 win over Getafe at the weekend.
That excellent form drives fear into any opponent but Galatasaray believe Osimhen’s pace, strength and ability to exploit spaces behind defenders could give them a valuable advantage.
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What Garcia said of Osimhen vs Barcelona
Speaking to Spanish publication SPORT, García confirmed that the Nigerian forward was ready to play and explained why Barcelona’s defensive style could work in his favour.
“He’s ready to play and he’s a game-changer for us,” García said.
“And I’ll tell you more: top players perform well in every match, but perhaps, because of Barcelona’s aggressive style of defence, with their defensive line in the middle of the field, Osimhen is the striker whose characteristics make him the perfect match against that type of defence.
“Beyond the fact that he’s an extraordinary striker, we expect he can cause Barcelona a lot of problems with his style of play.”
Why Barcelona’s high line could suit Osimhen
Barcelona’s aggressive defensive positioning can leave significant space behind their backline, particularly when opponents win possession and launch quick counter-attacks.
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That is where Osimhen could become particularly dangerous, a fact not lost even on Barcelona manager Hansi Flick.
The 27-year-old Nigerian has explosive acceleration, torments defenders with his powerful runs into the channels and draws fun from stretching opposing defences.
Still, Galatasaray will need to deliver accurate forward passes and transition quickly to make the most of those qualities.
Osimhen has scored against Barcelona before during his time at Napoli, but the Super Eagles striker is without a win in four meetings with the Camp Nou landlords.
Galatasaray’s record against Barcelona is not pretty, either. The Super Lig kings have only registered one win in ten previous clashes, six of which ended in a Spanish victory.
