*Ahead UEFA Champions League clash between Ajax and Galatasaray 

Duro Ikhazuagbe 

Ahead of tonight’s UEFA Champions League clash between hosts Ajax and Galatasaray at the Amsterdam Arena, Head Coach of the Dutch side, John Heitinga, has likened Nigeria and Galatasaray striker, Victor Osimhen, to former  Chelsea legend, Didier Drogba and AC Milan great, Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Speaking at a pre-match press briefing on Tuesday in Amsterdam, Heitinga, insisted that Osimhen’s strength, physique and ball sense can only be compared with the two former legends of the beautiful game.

“If I were to compare Osimhen to someone, it would be these two people; one is Drogba, the other Ibrahimovic. He’s both strong and fast, and his physique is very good. We need to watch out for him (tonight),” observed the Ajax gaffer ahead of the must-win clash for his team languishing at the bottom of the table with no point yet from three games.

Indeed, Heitinga, has every reason to be scared of the in-formed Nigerian striker whose presence in Istanbul has turned around Galatasaray fortunes. Osimhen has put his acrimonious departure from Napoli behind and settled down to business with the Turkish giants.

Before signing permanent deal last summer, Osimhen had during his loan spell banged in 37 goals in all competitions for Galatasaray. Just as he helped Napoli to win the Italian topflight Scudetto after three decades with his 26 goals in the Serie A, Osimhen was also largely instrumental in Galatasaray winning both the Turkish Super Lig title and the domestic cup, ending an 11-year wait for a double.

His absence at the start of this season’s UEFA Champions League opening game against Eintracht Frankfurt on Match-day 1, saw Galatasaray battered 5-1 by the Bundesliga side. Osimhen was sidelined due to injury he picked on international duty for Nigeria against Rwanda in Uyo.

But his return has seen Okan Buruk’s side flying high. First Osimhen delivered the goal that gave Galatasaray their first ever win against Liverpool. He also followed up scoring twice as the Turkish side hammered Bodo/Glimt 3-1 in the third round. Now the Nigerian star forward has extended his streak of finding the net to seven consecutive European matches, bringing his total goals in that period to nine.

Tonight, Osimhen will be aiming to erase the memories of the 2-1 defeat Galatasaray suffered against Ajax here at the same Amsterdam Arena. For Buruk, any win will be sufficient for his team to break away from several other teams on same six points. Three points in the bag tonight will lift Gala to the elite Top 8 class as the new league phase reaches its halfway point.

Defeat here for Osimhen and his teammates might cause the 15th-placed side to drop further down the table, earning a point would prevent them from falling below 17th. Six teams are on six points  hovering between 10th and 15th spots of the league phase.

RESULTS 

Napoli 0-0 Frankfurt

Sl’Prague 0-3 Arsenal

Atletico 3-1 Royale SG

Bodo/Glimt 0-1 Monaco 

Juventus 1-1 Sporting 

Liverpool 1-0 R’Madrid 

Olympiacos 1-1 PSV

PSG 1-2 B’Munich 

Tottenham 4-0 Co’hagen

TODAY

Pafos v Villarreal 

Qarabag v Chelsea

Ajax v Galatasaray 

Benfica v Leverkusen 

Brugge v Barcelona 

Inter v Kairat Almaty

Man City v Dortmund 

Marseille v Atalanta 

Newcastle v Bilbao