Nigerian football stars sparkled for their respective European clubs in league action over the weekend.
Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman both scored braces and provided assists in Napoli and Atalanta’s rout of Juventus and Salernitana in the Italian Serie A.
The season is still very young but the race for golden boots in Europe’s top 10 leagues is looking green with Nigerian players banging goals week in and week out.
The past weekend was particularly spectacular as Nigerian forwards proved to be among the bests in the world with yet their best performances this season.
The weekend’s fine form started with Osimhen on Friday when he shone the brightest in the Partenopei’s 5-1 pummeling of Serie A’s best defensive side, Juve.
It took the Nigerian less than fourteen minutes to end Juventus’ 8-game clean sheet streak at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, Naples city. Osimhen opened the scoring with a stunning header from a rebound.
25 minutes afterward, Osimhen set up strike partner, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia for the second goal. His fourth assist of the season.
Kvara returned the favour in the second half when curled in the beautiful cross for Osi’s second goal of the night. Again, Osimhen scored with a header. But this time, in between two defenders.
Shortly after the brace, a Serie A fan tweeted, “Victor Osimhen, running in behind: one of the most terrifying sights a defender could possibly behold.”
Nothing could be truer. Ajax defender Daley Blind and others would attest to that.
Lookman and Atalanta picked up from where Osihmen and Napoli left as they embarrassed Salernitana in Sunday’s Serie A fixture with Lookman putting on similar performance as Osimhen.
Lookman restored the hosts’ lead from the spot in the 20th minute, after Boulaye Dia’s 10th-minute goal canceled Jeremie Boga’s 5th-minute opener.
The former Leicester City loanee completed his brace in the 54th minute. He also bagged an assist in Atalanta and Serie A’s biggest victory of the century: 8-2.
Only his compatriot, Victor Osimhen with a dozen has more Serie A goals than Lookman who has managed nine this season.
Elsewhere in the French Ligue 1, Terem Moffi has been dazzling in goals for Lorient. Despite the club’s poor form, the attacker has managed 12 league goals this season.
He was on target in Lorient’s 3-1 defeat to Marseille on Sunday.
Only PSG’s talisman Kylian Mbappé with 13 goals this campaign has more Ligue goals than the Nigerian.
In Belgium, Super Eagles forward, Paul Onuacho sits comfortably on the scorer’s chart with 14 league goals this campaign.
The giant striker is enjoying blistering form in the Belgian Jupiter Pro League this season.
