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Osimhen fires Napoli into first-ever UCL quarter-finals, Madrid stop Liverpool again

VICTOR Osimhen scored a brace tonight to steer Napoli into the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League for the first time in the club’s history.

The Super Eagles striker scored Napoli’s first two goals at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium as Napoli defeated Eintracht Frankfurt 3-0 to ease past the round of 16 stage.

Osimhen headed Napoli into the lead with a huge leap in first half added time and made it 2-0 eight minutes into the second half to put the tie beyond the Germans.

With the brace, the Super Eagles star became the first Nigerian player to score twice in a UEFA Champions League knockout game.

The 24-year-old has now scored 23 goals this season and he could have added another one and completed his hat-trick from the penalty spot.

But instead of Osimhen, it was Piotr Zielinski who took and converted the spot kick awarded to Napoli in the 64th minute.

Napoli won the tie 5-0 on aggregate having beaten Frankfurt 2-0 in the first leg in Germany three weeks ago.

They join fellow Serie A sides Inter Milan and AC Milan in the last eight, the first time three Italian teams will reach the quarter-finals in the same season since 2005/2006.

In the other round of 16 second leg tonight, Real Madrid beat Liverpool 1-0 in Madrid to advance 6-2 on aggregate.

Karim Benzema netted the winner 12 minutes from time as champions Real Madrid knocked Liverpool out for the third season in a row.

Real Madrid are the only Spanish side left in the competition, with Italy having the most representatives in Napoli, Inter Milan and AC Milan.

There are two English clubs left (Manchester City and Chelsea), while Portugal and Germany have one each in Benfica and Bayern Munich respectively.

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