Victor Osimhen believes Napoli are good enough to win the Champions League after they reached the competition's quarter-finals for the first time with an emphatic win over Eintracht Frankfurt.
Osimhen scored twice as Napoli ran out 3-0 winners in Wednesday's last-16 second leg at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, securing a 5-0 aggregate success over last season's Europa League winners.
Piotr Zielinski also netted from the penalty spot as Napoli posted their fourth win in as many home Champions League games this season – the Partenopei have scored three or more goals in each of those victories.
With Napoli's tally of 26 Champions League goals unmatched by any other team this campaign, Osimhen believes the runaway Serie A leaders are capable of delivering European glory.
"I think anything is possible and we have the squad to achieve this dream," Osimhen told BT Sport.
"We want to go step by step and we will see what happens at the end of the season.
"It feels good to make history with this win. It was huge win. Congratulations to the team on a good performance from the whole squad."
Asked whether he had any preference regarding Napoli's quarter-final opponents, the striker said: "We are a top club and it would be good to have a draw with another top club.
"It's going to be a huge match, it's going to be great. We are ready for it, and we are ready for any big team we might have to play."
Osimhen became the first Napoli player to score in both legs of a European Cup/Champions League knockout tie and he passed up the chance for a hat-trick by allowing Zielinski to take the Partenopei's penalty.
"With the penalty, Zielinski asked me if he could take it," he revealed. "Of course, I'm a team player and it doesn't matter who scores as long as the team achieves success.
"I know my goals will come with or without that penalty. It's good to have that kind of mentality in the squad, and I'm happy about the three goals."
Zielinski believes Napoli's competitors should be nervous about the prospect of facing them, saying: "We want to do the best we can. It is obvious that everyone wants to go all the way.
"Whoever we get in the draw, we want to play our football and go through to the next round. Whoever we get, we will be ready to fight.
"I think teams should be afraid of this Napoli team. We are in great shape and everyone who faces us struggles to get a result. We can do great things this season."
Man City keeper Ederson will not opt for safe option in Champions League final
Manchester City goalkeeper Ederson will not change the way he plays for a safer option in the Champions League final.
The Brazil international’s ability with the ball at his feet means he has a key part to play when it comes to the team playing out from the back but when opposition teams press high that style can sometimes lead to greater risk.
But even in a one-off game, where a single mistake can decide the outcome of an entire season’s work, Ederson has no plans to play the percentages against Inter Milan in Istanbul on Saturday.
“We need to keep playing in the same way that we have been. We can’t change that just because we’re playing in a final,” he said.
“We have to have the personality to play, to have the ball at our feet, to find passes. Of course, making mistakes is part of being a goalkeeper, defender, the whole team.
“We’re all able to make a mistake, whether it comes in the first game of the season or the last, but we have to keep the same personality to play.”
Part of that personality is an ability to remain calm under pressure and not let setbacks derail the game-plan.
Ederson, who finished joint sixth in the race for the Premier League’s Golden Glove – seven behind Manchester United keeper David De Gea’s 17 clean sheets, feels the experience he has gained has given him the tools to cope with every eventuality.
“I think any City keeper needs to be calm, to play with personality,” added Ederson, who at the request of his daughter dyed his hair blue following City’s successful Premier League defence and will do so again if they beat Inter.
View this post on Instagram“There are a lot of teams that try to pressure us, so you need to be calm, get the ball under control and have the vision to find the right pass.
“I remember a game against Tottenham where I misplaced a pass and it led to a goal. I said to my team-mates after ‘You can still pass to me’, because errors are part of the process.
“Errors help us to grow, we learn a lot from mistakes. I mainly learn from errors. You can learn a lot more from making a mistake than you can from doing things right or from winning.
“So I always try to keep calm, to pass this calmness onto my team-mates as well, so that they know that they can play the ball to me and that I’m calm enough to make the right decision.”
Kyle Walker insists Champions League win will not define Man City’s achievements
Manchester City defender Kyle Walker insists Champions League success will not be the defining factor of the club’s achievements but admits victory would earn them recognition as one of the best teams in the world.
City’s domestic excellence is not in doubt, having won the Premier League in five of the last six seasons and collected a total of 11 trophies since Pep Guardiola took charge in 2016-17.
But their only previous appearance in a Champions League final ended in defeat to Chelsea two years ago and not winning European football’s elite trophy continues to be the major football-related criticism levelled at the club.
Walker believes the trophy haul under Guardiola deserves respect but he knows until they win the European Cup it will always be a millstone around their necks.
“It doesn’t define what this squad has achieved over the last six years if we go on and win this or not,” said the full-back ahead of Saturday’s final against Inter Milan.
“It helps massively to say that we can be put in that category of probably one of the best Premier League teams of all time. We don’t win five Premier Leagues in six years if we are not a good team.
“We kind of know we are a good team but to be recognised globally as one of the best teams you need to win the Champions League.
“We are not beating around the bush with that, we know this is now a great opportunity, we have a second chance definitely with Pep and the group of players who have stayed around and we need to put right the wrongs we did against Chelsea.”
However, City are not only chasing their first elusive Champions League in Istanbul but a place in the history books.
Victory would complete a Champions League-Premier League-FA Cup treble only previously achieved by neighbours Manchester United in 1999.
To secure that would add that extra veneer of validation to Guardiola’s side and Walker admits it is a motivating factor.
“Of course, I think that United team, along with the Invincibles (Arsenal’s 2003-2004 side), is probably up there with the best Premier League teams of all time,” said the England defender.
“What us and Liverpool, to a certain extent, have done where we have been battling for the last number of years I think (means) we should be in consideration.
“Both teams have fantastic players but they have got the big Champions League trophy that we can never say we have got.
“For us to be in contention of being talking around that we need to go and pick up this but by no stretch of the imagination do we just turn up on Saturday and we win it.”
Guardiola has admitted he got the game plan wrong in 2021, after surprisingly dropping his first-choice holding midfielder Rodri.
But Walker said the players who experienced that defeat could now use it as a positive.
“I don’t think any team goes straight to the final and wins it,” he said.
“I think you always have to go through setbacks, those nearly games, those losses.
“Even with the national team, each step of the way, we have got to a semi-final, got to a final, and hopefully big things are around the corner.
“I think all big teams have to go through setbacks to actually maybe give you the little bit of desire.
“We’ve been there. When you walk out (for the first time), hear the anthem playing and see the cup you think ‘Oh my gosh, it’s actually happening now’.
“Now, when you walk out, you know you’ve been here before and it is just about playing your football and trusting the people around you.
“Erling (Haaland) is popping up with the goals, Kevin (De Bruyne) is popping up with the assists so I think we will be all right.”
Dundee boss Tony Docherty excited by Scott Tiffoney signing
Dundee boss Tony Docherty is “thrilled” by the recruitment of Scott Tiffoney as he gears up for the cinch Premiership next season.
The winger has agreed to join the newly-promoted Tayside club when his contract with Partick Thistle ends at the weekend.
Tiffoney was in the Jags side which lost to Ross County in the Premiership play-off final.
Docherty, who took over as Dundee boss last week, told the club’s official website: “I am thrilled that Scott will be joining the club. He is a player that I have monitored and admired for a long time and is a player that will get the fans off their seats.
“When he has the ball, he can make things happen, he can create chances for others, and he can create opportunities for himself.
“He has a tremendous work ethic and wants to improve as a player.
“He is committed to the club and will be moving up here and I’m really excited about having him at the club.”
Tiffoney began his career with Greenock Morton before moving to Livingston in 2018 and then to Partick Thistle.
He has also had loan spells at Clyde, Morton, Ayr and Partick Thistle.
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