Victor Osimhen and Napoli have been handed a tricky tie in Group C of the Champions League, headlined by a highly-anticipated fixture against Real Madrid.
After the draws, Napoli and Victor Osimben now know the teams that they will be up against in the UEFA Champions league group stages. The Serie A Champions Napoli were put in Pot 1 by virtue of their winning the Scudetto and they were drawn in group C.
Osimhen and Napoli handed tricky tie in Champions League group stages
Napoli were drawn in a very tricky group. Although they were drawn from pot 1, the headliners of the group are none other than the 14-time European Champions, Real Madrid.
Every year, Los Blancos are the favorites for the title and they will be favorites to win the group over Napoli. The Madrid side have also expressed interest in Osimhen in the past and will get a chance to see who they failed to acquire up close.
Osimhen will relish a trip to the Santiago Bernabeu and will be looking to put in his best performance.
Braga are the other team drawn in the group. The Portuguese side got into the tournament by way of the qualifying round. They beat Greek side Panathinaikos in the final qualifying round to make it to the group stages and will find themselves in a tough group with Napoli and Madrid standing in the way of their qualification.
Victor Osimhen’s Napoli will feel like favorites against them as well as the last drawn team in this group, Union Berlin.
The German’s side’s journey to Europe’s elite has been a remarkable one. From being in the Bundesliga 2 just five years ago, the German side have scratched and clawed their way in superb fashion in just five years and will now have the opportunity to play at the Diego Armando Maradona stadium in Naples and the Bernabeu in Madrid.
The dream lives on! #fcunion https://t.co/gooxMjs3k6 pic.twitter.com/2yXlCU9MWi
— Kyle Walsh (@kwalsh96) August 16, 2023
They are a great football team that should not be underestimated by Napoli regardless of their inexperience.
The 2023/24 group stage draw ✅#UCLdraw pic.twitter.com/kCTj9JfBFM
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) August 31, 2023
Napoli will back themselves in this group, especially in their home matches. They will feel like they can get good wins at home and steal some points away. They will he second favorites in the group but they have the quality to top the group and upset Madrid.
Where did Napoli finish last season?
Last season, Napoli were arguably the most exciting team on the entire continent and they played a brand of football that was praised by most neutrals.
They made it all the way to the quarterfinals of the Champions League but they lost to fellow Serie A side AC Milan in the last eight.
In that tournament, Osimhen was one of the club’s best performers and the Super Eagles international scored five goals.
Can Napoli go further in the Champions League this term?
The least expectation that Napoli fans will have after their success last season will be that they qualify from their group. It is a new regime for the club and though they have started well, there are tougher challenges to come in future.
Napoli fans will have to temper their expectations this season even though they believe in the quality of their great football team. Osimhen will be aiming to score more goals than he did last season. He scored five goals in five starts for Napoli and will want to stay fit so he can play more minutes and score more goals for his team in the Champions League and beyond.
This article was most recently revised and updated 2 months ago
