…Cubarsi faced Osimhen in 2024 as a 17-year-old
Barcelona defender Pau Cubarsí has admitted that he expects a difficult challenge when he comes up against Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen tonight, as the Spanish giants take on Galatasaray at RAMS Park in their UEFA Champions League Matchday 2 encounter.
Osimhen previously faced Barcelona in the 2024 Champions League Round of 16 during his time at Napoli, with the Spanish side advancing 4-2 on aggregate. The Nigerian international scored in the 1-1 draw at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium in the first leg.
The Spaniard featured in Barcelona’s 3-1 victory in the return leg at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys, although Osimhen was unable to prevent Napoli’s elimination. Despite the outcome, the encounter left a lasting impression on the young defender.
Speaking ahead of tonight’s fixture, the 19-year-old praised the Nigeria international’s qualities, describing him as one of the best strikers in the world. Cubarsí stressed that Barcelona would need to remain focused and approach the game with the right mentality to contain the Nigerian forward.
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“I played against Osimhen a few seasons ago, and I hope he’s changed a bit, but I approach it the same way, seriously. He’s one of the best in the world, and we have to be focused so he can’t hurt us,” the Spanish World Cup winner told the press ahead of the game.
“We faced him a few years ago, and things might have changed somewhat. They’re a well-organised opponent, they play at home, and that’s important; we’ll have to be wary of their attacks.”
Galatasaray, who began their Champions League campaign with a disappointing 3-1 defeat to Sporting Lisbon, will be hoping to bounce back against Barcelona and secure a positive result in front of their home supporters.
The Turkish champions have also received a boost with the return of star striker, who recently recovered from a groin injury. The striker featured for 13 minutes in Galatasaray’s 3-1 victory over Kasimpasa over the weekend and will be looking to build on that appearance as he seeks to increase his Champions League goal tally tonight.
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