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."
Borussia Dortmund gearing up for crucial clashes against RB Leipzig and PSG
Borussia Dortmund are bracing for their two most important matches of the season.
Saturday's game at RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga is followed by a Champions League semi-final first leg at home to Paris-Saint Germain on May 1.
With the league title already wrapped up by runaway leaders Bayer Leverkusen, attention has shifted to the battle to qualify for the European competitions next season.
Dortmund's unexpected success in Europe has thrilled fans but the team's future in the continent's top club competition beyond this term could rest a lot on the result against Leipzig.
BVB are in fifth place on 57 points with Leipzig fourth on 59 and four games left in the campaign. The top four teams qualify for the Champions League group stage, although Germany is likely to earn a fifth spot as one of the top two in UEFA's coefficient table depending on the remaining results in European competition this season.
A Dortmund defeat against Leipzig would see them drift five points behind their rivals with three games remaining, so Edin Terzic's side are aiming to keep hot on their rivals' heels.
"It is a very important, decisive game against Leipzig," said Dortmund defender Nico Schlotterbeck.
"They are our direct rivals and it is a big difference for us finishing fourth or fifth.
"We lost against them earlier in the season and now we want to win this. It is the fight for fourth place."
Dortmund conceded a last-gasp equaliser in last week's 1-1 draw against Leverkusen but have won five of their last seven league games, including a 2-0 victory over Bayern Munich.
"It is extremely important for us to keep trying with 100 per cent to get that fourth place," said goalkeeper Gregor Kobel.
"We cannot sit back and relax until we have achieved that. We must maintain focus and step on the gas."
Frazsiers Whip to represent Jamaica in inaugural Concacaf Women's Champions Cup
As expected, Frazsiers Whip will be Jamaica’s representative in the inaugural Concacaf Women’s Champions Cup, a new annual tournament that includes the best clubs from North America, Central America, and the Caribbean and crowns the region’s women’s club champion.
The tournament is also the sole path through which clubs in Concacaf can qualify for the new FIFA Women’s Club World Cup, which FIFA has committed to launching in the near future.
By virtue of winning the 2022/23 Jamaica Women’s Premier League, Frazsiers Whip booked their spot for the first edition of the competition, which will feature 11 clubs from seven Member Associations.
The other confirmed participants are Canada’s 2023 League One Women’s Inter-Provincial Championship winners Vancouver Whitecaps FC, Costa Rica’s LD Alajuelense, Mexico’s Tigres UANL Femenil, as well as the United States trio of Gotham FC, San Diego Wave FC and Portland Thorns FC.
El Salvador and Panama are yet to confirm their representatives for their solitary spots, while Mexico’s two other representatives will be known at the conclusion of the Liga MX Clausura.
Interim Reggae Girlz Head coach Xavier Gilbert, who guided Frazsiers Whip to league honours, welcomed the move by Concacaf, which he believes will offer some exposure for local players, despite the gulf in class between other leagues around the region and Jamaica's Women's League.
"It's important for local football, however, I don't think any of our local teams will be able to match up with the teams from Mexico or United States. Those clubs are professional clubs playing in a fully professional leagues, while ours is nowhere close to their standard," Gilbert told SportsMax.TV in a recent interview.
"But it is good, it is more football and more exposure for our local players. At the same time, I think it sends a signal of how important it is for us to look at what we are doing in terms of resources and surfaces for our local teams. So, it is good move by Concacaf, and I think it's for us now here in Jamaica to look at what we are doing and try to improve the quality of our league," he added.
The official draw for the tournament is scheduled for June 6.
Action in the Concacaf Women’s Champions Cup is expected to get underway in August, with a Preliminary Round, followed by Group and Knockout Stage play. The Preliminary Round Play-in will be a single-leg match between two clubs, with the winner advancing to the Group Stage.
The Group Stage will feature 10 clubs divided into two groups of five clubs each. Each club will play every club in its group once, for a total of four matches per club (two at home and two away). At the conclusion of Group Stage play, the group winners and runners-up (four clubs) will progress to the competition’s final four.
The semifinals, third-place encounter, and final, where the first-ever Concacaf Women’s Champions Cup winners will be crowned, will be centralized in a venue to be announced.
Xavi 'convinced' Barcelona U-turn is right decision
Xavi believes staying at Barcelona is the right decision after he performed a U-turn on leaving the club.
Reports emerged on Wednesday that Xavi, who had initially decided to leave Barca at the end of the season, had changed his mind.
Confirmation arrived on Thursday, with Xavi and Barca's club president Joan Laporta holding a press conference.
And Xavi has no doubt he is making the right call.
“You know that I am a very big Barcelona fan and I always try to do the best for the club," he said, as reported by Football Espana.
"The most important thing is to think about the institution. When we met with the president I put my position at his disposal, but I saw that I enjoy great confidence from the president and the entire board.
"The players have been very important, they have made me see that this project has to continue. We are working well, it is a winning project. The project is not finished.
"The fans have also made me see that I must continue. The staff too. I think about what is best for the club.
"In January I thought it was best to leave, but now I see it differently. I think it is the best decision.
"I am 100 per cent committed. The trust they have placed in me again is spectacular. Let's get to work."
Crunch talks with Laporta were reportedly key to Xavi's decision, and Barca's president added: "It's great news that Xavi is staying. Stability is one of the keys to success."
Since taking charge of Barca in 2022, he has taken charge of 137 games in all competitions, winning 85 of them (62 per cent), drawing 24 and losing 28.
His team have scored 261 goals, winning two trophies – the 2022-23 LaLiga title and the 2022-23 Supercopa de Espana.
Barca's last-gasp defeat in El Clasico last weekend saw them fall 11 points behind LaLiga leaders Real Madrid with just six games remaining.
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
