Lille defender, Alexsandro Ribeiro, has expressed his excitement ahead of a challenging encounter with Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen as Lille prepare to face Galatasaray in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday.
Both teams will be seeking their first points in the competition after losing their opening two matches, raising the stakes ahead of the encounter.
Speaking ahead of the game, the Brazilian centre-back acknowledged the difficulty of facing Osimhen, describing their individual contest as a battle.
“Yes, I’ll be playing against Osimhen. It’s going to be a tough match for us. It will be a bit of a battle between the two of us,” said the big Brazilian central defender.
Ribeiro also expressed satisfaction with his return to action after struggling with injuries last season, noting that he has made encouraging progress in the current campaign.
“I’m back on the pitch. It feels great. My injury last year was different; I couldn’t play many games. I’m showing good progress this season, and I want to continue like that. The club have also made a big contribution to this.”
Wednesday’s fixture will also be a return to familiar territory for Osimhen, who played for Lille during the 2019/2020 season before securing a high-profile move to Italian club Napoli.
The Nigerian forward will be hoping to make an impact against his former club as Galatasaray seek to revive their Champions League campaign.
Meanwhile, Lille coach Davide Ancelotti has stressed the importance of securing points, insisting that his team remain determined to progress to the next stage of the competition.
“I feel positive emotions. It’s time to get points in the Champions League, and if you get points, you advance to the next round. Our goal is, of course, to play a competitive match against Galatasaray and collect points. Our only goal is to progress in the Champions League,” he said.
Ancelotti also urged his players to remain focused without allowing the significance of the fixture to place unnecessary pressure on them.
“I don’t want to put too much pressure on the players regarding the Galatasaray match. I want them to be focused. This is a Champions League match, we will be playing in a fantastic atmosphere. The Betis match was the same, even though we lost.”
With both sides desperate to get their Champions League campaigns back on track, the encounter presents an important opportunity for Lille and Galatasaray to register their first points in the competition.
