VICTOR Osimhen celebrated his CAF Awards African Player of the Year prize with a goal tonight to steer Napoli into the round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League.
The Super Eagles striker last night in Marrakech, Morocco became the first Nigerian to win the award since Nwankwo Kanu’s 1999 triumph and he was back in Italy tonight.
Osimhen netted Napoli’s second goal in the 33rd minute, tapping home Natan’s pass from close range to add to Serdar Saatci’s ninth minute own goal.
The Nigeria international, who was honoured by the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona crowd before kick-off, was taken off in the 69th minute to a standing ovation after registering his seventh goal of the season.
Napoli finished second in Group C with 10 points, eight behind Real Madrid, who beat Union Berlin 3-2 in Germany tonight.
Also tonight, Manchester United’s woeful campaign in the competition was brought to an end as they were beaten 1-0 at Old Trafford by Group A winners Bayern Munich.
Kingsley Coman scored the game’s only goal in the 70th minute to condemn Erik ten Hag’s side to their fourth defeat in six group fixtures.
Manchester United finished bottom of their group with just four points and conceded 15 goals in the UEFA Champions League this season, the most ever by a Premier League side in a single group stage in the competition.
In the same group, FC Copenhagen beat Galatasaray 1-0 to finish second and advance to the round of 16, with Lukas Lerager netting the only goal in the 58th minute.
Galatasaray finished third and dropped down to the UEFA Europa League.
Holders of the Europa League, Sevilla, were knocked out entirely out of Europe in one of the early evening kick-offs after falling to a 2-1 defeat at Lens.
Sevilla finished fourth in the group with just two points, while Lens dropped down to the Europa League after coming third with eight points, just one behind second-placed PSV Eindhoven, who drew 1-1 in the Netherlands with group winners Arsenal.
In Group D, Super Eagles striker Umar Sadiq started for Real Sociedad and lasted for 61 minutes as they held Inter Milan to a 0-0 draw in Italy.
With the result, Real Sociedad topped the group with 12 points, ahead of Inter Milan on goal difference, while Benfica finished third after beating FC Salzburg 3-1 in Austria.
RESULTS
Manchester United 0-1 Bayern Munich
FC Copenhagen 1-0 Galatasaray
PSV 1-1 Arsenal
Lens 2-1 Sevilla
Napoli 2-0 Sporting Braga
Union Berlin 2-3 Real Madrid
Inter Milan 0-0 Real Sociedad
FC Salzburg 1-3 Benfica
