SSC Naples. An attractive draw in the round of 16 of the Champions League for Eintracht Frankfurt. But not quite as big a name as Real Madrid or Paris St. Germain. But on closer inspection, it could not have been more difficult for the SGE.
Napoli is playing the best season of any team in Europe’s top five leagues. The Partenopei lead the Italian Serie A by 15 points, have the best defense (15 goals conceded) and the best attack (56 goals) in the league. In addition, Napoli easily survived a very demanding Champions League group with Liverpool FC, Ajax Amsterdam and Glasgow Rangers.
The architect of the success is the experienced coach Luciano Spalletti (63). Clever transfers like that of central defender Min-jae Kim (26) also caught the departure of pillars like Kalidou Koulibaly (31 / Chelsea). But the showpiece of the team is perhaps the hottest offensive duo in Europe at the moment.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (22) and Victor Osimhen (24) dominate Napoli’s game and are the top assist provider and top scorer respectively in Serie A. Kvaratskhelia makes the club legend Lorenzo Insigne (31) forget the left winger. In 24 competitive games, the Georgian scored 12 goals and provided 14 assists.
One cheap, one expensive
The ten million euros transfer fee that Napoli transferred to Dinamo Batumi for Kvaratskhelia in the summer can now be seen as a real bargain. Real Madrid is said to have already shown interest in the dribbling artist. However, given his contract until 2027, Napoli has the reins in his hands.
Incidentally, Spalletti compares his protégé with one of the greatest of his guild: “Kvaratskhelia is unique in dribbling and feeling for the ball. He reminds me of Mohamed Salah. Kvaratskhelia does not feel any pressure, he is a calm boy. He is exceptional and will have a great future.”
Osimhen failed in Wolfsburg
Osimhen’s development is also more than remarkable. At VfL Wolfsburg, the then very young Nigerian didn’t get a foot on the ground between January 2017 and August 2018 (16 games, zero goals). Via the stations RSC Charleroi (36 games, 20 goals) and OSC Lille (38 games, 18 goals), he ended up in Naples in 2020 for a proud fee of 70 million euros.
A leap of faith that Osimhen now fully lives up to. After ten and 14 goals in the first two seasons, the powerhouse now has 18 goals in 19 league games this season. By the way, Kvaratskhelia prepared six of them.
De Laurentiis a tough negotiator
Spalletti praises: “Osimhen is a great striker. Its potential is immeasurable.” The coach lifts “the courage and the physicality” from Osimhen: “After all, he has smashed his face several times because he follows every ball.”
Of course, this combination of goal threat and power does not go unnoticed by any big club. But at least Osimhen is tied to Naples until 2025. Manchester United have been chasing him for a long time, but so far they have been struggling. If SSC President Aurelio de Laurentiis wants to keep a player, as he has shown time and again in the past, he keeps him. This is probably especially true for Kvaratskhelia and Osimhen.
Frankfurt – Naples: The expected lineups
