Napoli v Eintracht Frankfurt Preview: Osimhen set to lead Gli Azzurri into first-ever Champions League quarter-final

Guardiola says Napoli are the best team in Europe

UCL Napoli v Eintracht Frankfurt Preview: Osimhen set to lead Gli Azzurri into first-ever Champions League quarter-final

Tunde Young 08:26 - 15.03.2023

Napoli host Eintracht Frankfurt with a good chance to qualify for the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals for the first time in history

Napoli enter into the second leg of their UEFA Champions League round of 16 tie against Eintracht Frankfurt with one leg already in the next round.

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Gli Azzurri have a healthy advantage following a 2-0 win away in Germany in the first leg thanks to Victor Osimhen's heroics three weeks ago.

And now Luciano Spalletti's men have a chance to seal qualification to the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals for the first time in the 118-year history of the club.

Napoli v Eintracht Frankfurt preview

The first leg in Frankfurt was preceded by a degree of uncertainty as the Germans can be unpredictable but there are no logical doubts about Napoli's status as favourites ahead of this second leg.

Victor Osimhen celebrates with his Napoli teammates against Eintracht Frankfurt in the first leg
Victor Osimhen celebrates with his Napoli teammates against Eintracht Frankfurt in the first leg

The Neapolitans have managed to translate their domestic dominance (18-point lead in Serie A) to the European stage with an impressive group stage and a dominant knockout round so far.

They come into this game on the back of a comfortable 2-0 win at home to Atalanta on Saturday and will once again rely on their impregnable Diego Armando Maradona Stadium where they have only lost one game all season, 1-0 to Lazio 12 days ago.

Napoli have also not lost a home game in the Champions League since 2017 with eight wins and three draws in that run.

Victor Osimhen has scored 19 goals for Napoli.
Napoli are strong at home this season Napoli star Osimhen named one of the best in the world.

Even worse for Frankfurt who have not won an away game since November 2022, it is difficult to see how Oliver Glasner's team gets anything out of this game.

Osimhen and other players to watch

Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen leads the way alongside Georgian winger Kvicha Kvaratskhelia as the chief sources of danger for Napoli. 

Osimhen and Kvaratskhelia inspire Napoli to win against Sassuolo
Napoli duo Victor Osimhen and Kvicha Kvaratskhelia pose danger for Eintracht Frankfurt

Osimhen has scored 21 goals in 27 games across all competitions this season and although he has not scored in his last two games, he is still the most likely scorer for Napoli in this game.

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Kvaratskhelia on the other hand grabbed all the headlines against Atalanta with a wonder goal, dribbling past multiple defenders to score an absolute beauty.

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia opened the scoring for Napoli against Atalanta in Serie A with an absolute beauty of a goal
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia opened the scoring for Napoli against Atalanta in Serie A with an absolute beauty of a goal

The Georgian wonger now has 13 goals and 15 assists in 28 games across all competitions this season, making him one of the most productive players in Europe.

Napoli v Eintracht Frankfurt team news

Napoli are expected to have the full complement of their squad with the exception of Italian striker Giacomo Raspadori who would have most likely started on the bench even when fit. 

As if things are not already bad enough for the visitors, Frankfurt will be without their top scorer and talismanic French striker, Randal Kolo Muani who is serving a suspension for getting sent off in the first leg.

Kolo Muani was sent off in the first leg against Napoli
Kolo Muani was sent off in the first leg against Napoli

22-year-old Frenchman Junior Dina Ebimbe,  23-year-old Dane Jesper Lindstrom and 18-year-old German Marcel Wenig, all midfielders and all ruled out of this game for Eintracht Frankfurt as well.

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