Haaland from another planet, but Osimhen is now in the wake: Ballon d’Or duel

The Norwegian is currently ahead for goals, shots and passes but the Nigerian from Napoli is chasing him.

If it weren’t for Osimhen, the succession to the title of top center forward would have ended before starting. With one heir designated to take it all: Erling Haaland. Not that Benzema, 35, and Lewandowski, 34, symbols of the last decade, have given up, but age inevitably plays against them. Everyone pointed to Haaland, Kane’s interregnum could in the meantime be inaugurated, but no one imagined that the Norwegian’s technical, tactical and physical rise was so fast and that the handover was immediate. Haaland threatens to become not the strongest 9 in the world, this is obvious, even the prototype of an era: the bionic center forward of the future, beastly physique, speed as if he had an engine, devastating presence in the area and, with Guardiola’s lessons , more and more in the maneuver. The figures of the twenty-two-year-old son of art are like those of Messi and CR7 once, more goals than games: 32 in 31 games in City, 86 in 89 in Borussia, 29 out of 27 in Salzburg. He will soon be battling Mbappé – he a total striker – for a Ballon d’Or. Who can stop him?

A challenger is emerging from the chasing group whose impact is now more and more impressive game after game. Victor Osimhen is two years older and a less imposing physique: he gives the Norwegian ten centimeters and almost fifteen kilos. But football isn’t weightlifting, Haaland is the anomaly. Osimhen has perfect measures and shots from a modern 9, powerful and fast, harmonious and agile.

He has running and recklessness, shooting and headers, perhaps more unpredictability in the movements on the whole front of attack because he gives fewer points of reference with his extraordinary mobility. And he learns. He absorbs like a sponge. Spalletti is his Pep.

When Victor arrived at Napoli from Lille three years ago, Gattuso was on the bench. He was a finisher waiting for the assist and didn’t always seem focused. He often ended up offside, he only asked for depth, he had little patience. Today Osi is in the game, he understood that a return with his back to goal can be more useful than a vertical attack. Above all, he has learned to dictate support and restart with the radar on for the launch, without however monopolizing the maneuver like Lukaku in Conte’s Inter. Here Spalletti has more solutions and Kvaratskhelia is the source of ideas that perhaps even Haaland dreams of. Osimhen’s shots are not random runs, they draw studied and memorized paths. With that run with wide strides many defenders ended up in the dust. Kvara and Osimhen together are conquering the world.

The comparison in the Champions League says Haaland. More goals (5-1), more shots on goal (2 against 0.7 on average), better goal percentage (42-17%), more successful passes (7.25 against 4.33). But they are data to be adapted to the game of Manchester City and Napoli. Although Pep has loosened up his dribble and tiki-taka, it is inevitable that Haaland will end up touching more balls and shooting more. On the contrary, Osimhen stands out in verticalizations (1.67-1.5). Haaland’s hazard rating is higher. However, these are indications of the group stage in which the Nigerian only played 168′ due to the injury. The challenge to the king, perhaps unequal, is launched. Osimhen extended Darwin Nuñez, Nkunku, Gonçalo Ramos, Jonathan David, Vlahovic, Alvarez (who pays for the coexistence with Haaland in the City). Tonight he can detach Kolo Muani who physically remembers him and has a similar attitude to verticalization. That of the 9 world looked like an absolute monarchy, Osimhen can make it more democratic.