Napoli’s Victor Osimhen has made the first Serie A team of the week for the 2023/24 season. This is according to player data and statistics collection website WhoScored.
The Nigeria national football team ace opened his 2023/24 goalscoring account with two goals against newly-promoted Frosinone on Saturday 19 August 2023.
His first goal was the goal that put Napoli ahead after Matteo Politano equalised at the Stadio Benito Stirpe. Victor Osimhen got his brace in the second half to hand Napoli the win and three points, earning him a place on WhoScored’s Serie A team of the week.
🇮🇹 Serie A Team of the Week pic.twitter.com/StmFCIzFXC
— WhoScored.com (@WhoScored) August 22, 2023
Victor Osimhen and Lautaro Martinez set to compete for Serie A scoring honours in 2023/24
Victor Osimhen pipped Internazionale’s Lautaro Martinez to the Capocannoniere award in 2022/23. There was no competition between both players but towards the end of the season, the Argentina international picked up the pace.
The Super Eagles striker would end up with 26 goals and the top scorer award, while the Inter man would end up with 21 goals, second to Osimhen, and a third-place finish with Inter on the Serie A log. Osimhen also beat Martinez to the Serie A best striker award for the 2022/23 season.
Both players have now kicked off a competition that was touted by many pundits including those from the Nigeria football news media.
Lautaro Martinez:
2018/19- 11g/a in 18 starts
2019/20-29g/a in 40 starts
2020/21-30g/a in 39 starts
2021/22-29g/a in 42 starts
2022/23-39 g/a in 45 starts140 goals & assists in 184 starts for Inter. Happy birthday to an Inter LEGEND. pic.twitter.com/QgRkS9cTLP
— 👑🐉 Perisnitch (@snajaths) August 22, 2023
2022 FIFA World Cup winner Martinez bagged a brace of his own in Inter’s opening match against Monza. Both goals were the only goals in that match as the Nerazzuri ran out two-nil winners and with three points.
Napoli faces Sassuolo next while Inter travels to Cagliari. All eyes will be on Victor Osimhen and Lautaro Martinez, whose performances on matchday 1 of the 2023/24 Italian top-flight season earned them a spot on the Serie A team of the week.
Victor Osimhen not enough to seal second Scudetto for Napoli, Italian football legend predicts
Predictions for the 2023/24 Italian Serie A season are still coming in from followers of the league. Goalball Live has also dropped comprehensive predictions which you can read in this article.
The most popular opinion is that Napoli will finish high up the 2023/24 Serie A table and that Victor Osimhen will retain his Capocannoniere. However, Italian football legend and former AC Milan striker Antonio Cassano believes that Napoli will struggle.
He also opines that Victor Osimhen will struggle as well but his talent will come through for him and keep his head above water.
A big 2023 so far for club and country… 👏
⭐ Victor Osimhen #UCL pic.twitter.com/szFZZqtv6p
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) August 21, 2023
“I wish Rudi Garcia a big good luck, but I also say that repeating what he did Spalletti will be impossible,” Cassano told Napoli Magazine. “I have a feeling and I’ll say something strong: Napoli will struggle to get into the top four this year.
I say it right away despite the presence of Victor Osimhen, an outstanding player who always makes you start games 1-0”.
Cassano’s comments come on the back of Napoli losing two key figures in their Scudetto win last season: coach Luciano Spaletti and defender Kim Min-Jae.
Rudi Garcia is rebuilding the team and it remains to be seen how he can best utilise the talents of Victor Osimhen to prove Cassano wrong.
This article was most recently revised and updated 2 months ago
