Lille Defender: Stopping Osimhen Will Be A War

Lille centre-back Alexsandro has warned that his battle with Victor Osimhen could be fierce when the French side host Galatasaray in Wednesday’s UEFA Champions League encounter.

The Brazilian defender acknowledged the threat posed by Galatasaray ahead of the league-phase fixture, insisting Lille must work collectively to contain the Turkish champions’ attacking danger.

‘We are aware of their performance. They are a team that creates a lot of danger. We can oppose this danger if we play together,’ Alexsandro said at Tuesday’s pre-match press conference.

Asked specifically about facing Osimhen, the 27-year-old made clear that he expects a demanding contest against the Nigerian striker.

‘Yes, I will play against Osimhen. It will be a difficult match for us. Wednesday will be a bit of a war between the two of us,’ he said.

Osimhen returns to familiar surroundings, having scored 18 goals in 38 appearances for Lille during the 2019/20 season before continuing his career elsewhere in Europe.

The Nigerian striker will be central to Galatasaray’s hopes of ending their poor Champions League run. The Turkish side have gone six league-phase matches without a victory, recording one draw and five defeats, and have also lost their last five away matches in the competition.

Lille, however, have their own concerns, having lost their last four European matches. They will be eager to halt that run on home soil, with Alexsandro and his defensive colleagues facing the challenge of keeping Osimhen quiet.