Galatasaray assistant coach Ismael Garcia believes Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen has the qualities to exploit Barcelona’s high defensive line when both teams clash in Tuesday’s UEFA Champions League encounter. The Nigeria international is expected to lead Galatasaray’s attack against the Spanish champions after recovering from an injury that had kept him on the sidelines.
Osimhen returned to action over the weekend, providing a timely boost for the Turkish giants ahead of their European showdown with Hansi Flick’s side. Speaking to Diario Sport, as quoted by Barca Blaugranes, Garcia confirmed that the former Napoli striker is available for selection and explained why his playing style could cause Barcelona problems. “Yes, yes.
I’m not going to tell you clichés or lies: he’s ready to play and he’s a completely differential player for us. Obviously, he’s there to play,” Garcia said.
“And I’ll tell you more: the top players do well in every game, but perhaps, because of Barcelona’s way of defending, so aggressive and with the defensive line in the middle of the field, Osimhen is the striker who, due to his characteristics, is perfect against that type of defense.
“Beyond the fact that he is an extraordinary striker, we hope that he can do a lot of damage to Barcelona with the way he plays.” Barcelona’s aggressive defensive approach has been a major feature of Flick’s system, with the Catalan giants often pushing their backline high up the pitch to maintain pressure on opponents.
Also Read: UCL: Barcelona Coach Wary Of ‘Fantastic Striker’ Osimhen Ahead Of Galatasaray Clash However, Garcia believes Osimhen’s pace, movement and ability to attack spaces behind defenders could make him particularly dangerous against the La Liga champions.