Victor Osimhen: Serie A player watch

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After the season he has had, Victor Osimhen will always be a legend in Naples. In a city where football has a meaning that many would find hard to grasp, fans have been celebrating a first Serie A title win in 33 years for months – despite the fact that, at the time of writing in late April 2023, the 2022/23 Scudetto is still at least four games from being secured. Osimhen has been integral to Napoli's shock title charge, his goals firing Luciano Spalletti's exciting side to what appears an unassailable lead at the top of the table. Spalletti is in no doubt about how far the 24-year-old Nigerian striker can go in the game.

“Osimhen is such a great striker," Spalletti said. "I am stunned by the potential he has and excited to see what he’ll do in future. He has the pace, the skill, the courage and physicality to deal with [difficult] situations. After all, he smashed his face a couple of times because he goes for every ball. He still has remarkable room for improvement.”

Technical analysis

Osimhen is a right-footed centre-forward who brings a big presence to the opposition’s penalty area. He scores goals in a variety of different ways, and is adept in the box with both feet and his head. This ability, combined with his strength and the timing of his movements, makes him very dangerous when close to goal. He has an impressive jump with which he often beats his direct marker in the air, while he is able to generate power with his headers or simply guide whipped balls towards goal. He also always remains alert to compete for any second-phase balls inside the penalty area, where he is ready to pounce on errors, deflections or rebounds.

Osimhen usually targets his runs towards space at the back post. He likes to peel off his marker, away from the ball, to move on the blindside of his opponent before attacking the far post (below). This positioning means he can still attack the near post if the chance is there. He has good enough acceleration over short distances to dominate the near post with a burst of pace, while he is also strong enough to put a defender off balance with a little nudge as he moves past them. His initial movement towards the back post also means he is in a better position to spot opportunities to pounce on a rebound. He is also an aerial threat at set-pieces, having added to his goal tally recently from both corners and free-kicks.

Outside the area

Osimhen shows an unselfish side to his game when operating around or just beyond the halfway line. He willingly makes consistent runs into the channels, which creates space elsewhere, and he also provides a counter-attacking outlet with his pace on the break. He chases clearances into the wide areas, battling for bouncing balls and giving his teammates hope that a lost cause can be turned into sustained possession higher up the pitch (below), or even a turnover, direct attack and chance on goal. Naturally, Osimhen is also a target for central play after pinning an opposing centre-back. He can either hold the ball up or flick the ball on for runners, or drop in to link – though he is most effective when pinning his opponent and operating on the top line.

There isn’t much missing from Osimhen’s game, but his biggest strength is arguably the threat he provides running in behind the opposition. He bends his runs intelligently to remain onside, while his strength allows him to hold off opponents who attempt to disrupt him. This allows him to run in behind a centre-back (below), and often meet the ball at full pace.

Although Osimhen doesn’t always manage to get himself facing directly towards goal as he runs in behind, he still manages to work shooting opportunities more often than not. He can twist his body to shoot when running across the pitch or even slightly away from goal, which is a key strength. This means he is a constant threat on goal.

Without the ball, Osimhen works hard; he is happy to compete for aerial duels and press with intensity. As a lone centre-forward, he is adept at locking the opposition’s play on one side of the pitch, and is particularly effective at blocking switches between two centre-backs. His acceleration makes him an effective presser, and he is smart with his decisions in trying to show the opposition towards a teammate or crowded area of the pitch.

Lone centre-forward

Osimhen has hit double figures for league goals for five consecutive seasons with Napoli, Lille and Charleroi, largely thanks to the timing of his movements as a lone centre-forward. His runs in behind from Napoli’s 4-3-3 shape help the team’s wide pairs. The width provided by the full-back/winger pairs of Giovanni Di Lorenzo and either Matteo Politano or Hirving Lozano on the right, and Mário Rui or Mathías Olivera and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia on the left, creates a regular passing lane back inside from the full-back (below). The positioning of these wide pairings draws opponents to the flanks, allowing Osimhen to isolate a centre-back, run in behind, and physically dominate an opponent attacking any crosses. This has proven particularly effective on the Napoli right under Spalletti.

In the 4-3-3 shape, Napoli’s two number eights make fluid movements, but will initially try to give Osimhen room to operate. This allows him to drift across as the ball moves along the back line and then look to receive to feet or make a penetrative run beyond the opposition. After the ball is played to Osimhen, the number eights will run off him for the second phase. These movements, coupled with the winger on the far side moving inside, help take markers away from Osimhen, allowing him to drift towards the back post and engage in a one-on-one battle for the ball with a defender.

Adaptable movements

Along with Osimhen’s goals, Napoli have come to rely heavily on the right-footed left-sided attacker Kvaratskhelia. He has struck up a fruitful partnership with Osimhen, with the two combining and rotating effectively. With Kvaratskhelia always looking to move inside, Osimhen has a clear understanding of when to look to receive but also of the right moment to start drifting away. If he moves too early, one of the opposing centre-backs is likely to be able to engage Kvaratskhelia, but if he moves too late, he is unlikely to make it into the penalty area in time to have an impact.

The timing of his runs, either dropping into midfield before bending away to attack the back post or in behind to receive a through pass (above), complements Kvaratskhelia’s movements infield. This also has the added benefit of creating space for left-back Rui to overlap and provide crosses into the box. With Kvaratskhelia then inside, Napoli’s number eight on the left will move across to cover underneath the rotation, with the right winger and right-sided number eight attacking the penalty area.

After firing Napoli to an historic likely title win, Osimhen has proved he belongs at the top of the game. A complete forward, it’s no surprise to see him linked with many of the best clubs in Europe. Whether in Naples or not, he will surely be challenging for football’s biggest prizes for years to come.

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Author: The Coaches' Voice