Victor Osimhen emerged as the hero for Napoli, salvaging a crucial 1-1 draw against Barcelona in the first leg of their Champions League Round of 16 encounter. This marked his triumphant return to the pitch after a December absence.
Victor Osimhen grabbed a late equalizer for Napoli to cancel out Robert Lewandowski’s opener, leaving the Champions League Round of 16 tie finely balanced after a 1-1 draw at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.
Fresh from AFCON duty, Osimhen capitalized on a lapse in the Barcelona defense with 15 minutes remaining, firing home to level the score after Lewandowski’s 93rd Champions League goal had put the visitors ahead on the hour mark.
The match was played against the backdrop of upheaval for both sides. Napoli entered under the guidance of new coach Francesco Calzona following the dismissal of Walter Mazzarri, while Barcelona were contesting their first Champions League knockout stage fixture in three years.
Despite their struggles domestically, both sides started the game cautiously, lacking the attacking flair expected from European giants. Barcelona, however, dominated the first half, capitalizing on Napoli’s disorganization and restricting them to their own half.
Frustrated by Barca’s high press, Napoli struggled to string passes together, often gifting possession to the visitors who also lacked inspiration in attack. The deadlock was eventually broken by Lewandowski, who expertly converted Pedri’s pass from inside the box, sending a powerful shot into the bottom corner.
Napoli responded positively to the setback, and Osimhen’s equalizer 15 minutes later set the stage for a tense finish. Both sides pressed for a winner, but ultimately settled for a share of the spoils, leaving the tie wide open heading into the second leg at the Camp Nou.
“It is not a good result for the return leg,” admitted a disappointed Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez. “We were better in all aspects of the game, but we struggled to control the tempo and lacked effectiveness upfront. This summarizes our season so far.”
With the tie in the balance, both Napoli and Barcelona will need to improve significantly if they are to progress to the next round of the Champions League.