3 reasons why Osimhen struggled against Barcelona

Victor Osimhen, the Nigerian striker, faced a challenging match in the recent Champions League clash against Barcelona. Despite his efforts, Osimhen struggled to make a significant impact on the game. In this article, we delve into three key reasons behind his difficulties on the field.

For all the pre and post-game remarks on Victor Osimhen’s battle with 17-year-old Pau Cubarsi, it was the 25-year-old Ronald Araujo who was tasked with keeping the imposing Nigerian at bay.

Araujo, a 6’2 physical specimen often deployed by Xavi as a man-marker in big games, made Osimhen his mission and he tailed the Nigerian’s every move.

This made it difficult for the Nigerian, who often relies on his heightened athletic abilities to get the better of defenders, as the Uruguayan was up to the task.

Last night, Osimhen was saddled with the unglamorous responsibility of attracting Barcelona defenders to create space for his teammates to attack—a decoy.

This was evident in several instances in the game, most prominently Amir Rrahmani’s goal, which came as a result of Osimhen’s selfless work. The Nigerian’s vertical run was tracked by both Barcelona centre-backs, leaving a chasm at the edge of the 18-yard area for the Kosovan to attack.

Another example was in the 34th minute, when Giovanni Di Lorenzo forced Marc Andre Ter Stegen into a stunning save after he was left unmarked in the area as a result of Barcelona’s defenders occupying Osimhen, who made a run in the opposite direction.

Those two instances stuck out the most from multiple. Osimhen’s thankless work last night does not reflect on the statistics platforms and can be easily missed by a less careful eye.

Another significant issue that hindered Osimhen's performance was the lack of support and service from his midfield teammates. Throughout the game, Osimhen struggled to receive quality supply and link-up play from the midfielders, who failed to provide him with accurate passes and creative through balls.

As a result, Osimhen was isolated up front, often left chasing long balls and dealing with multiple defenders without adequate support to create scoring opportunities.