Midweek must-watch matches: Osimhen face Milan, Orban vs West Ham, Boniface eye Bayer, Moffi test Basel

Soccernet.ng brings you the four continental club matches involving top Nigerian forwards you cannot afford to miss this week.

UEFA Champions League: Napoli vs AC Milan

Tuesday night’s game between Napoli and AC Milan is set to be a blockbuster encounter, as the two Italian giants face off in the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie.

The first leg was won 1-0 by AC Milan at the San Siro, but Napoli will be feeling confident ahead of the return leg at the Diego Maradona Stadium.

Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen, who missed the first leg due to injury, is set to lead the line for Napoli and will be looking to continue his impressive form in the competition. With four goals in five games, Osimhen has been instrumental in Napoli’s run to the quarter-finals, and his return will be a major boost for the hosts.

AC Milan, however, will be hoping to capitalize on their advantage from the first leg and secure a place in the semi-finals for the first time since the 2006-07 season.

The likes of Olivier Giroud and Rafael Leao will be key players for the Rossoneri, who will be looking to hold off Napoli’s attacking threat and secure a famous result in Naples.

UEFA Europa League: Union Saint-Gilloise vs Bayer Leverkusen

Royale Union Saint-Gilloise will be looking to upset the odds once again when they host Bayer Leverkusen in the second leg of their Europa League quarter-final tie on Thursday night.

Both teams battled to a 1-1 draw on the first leg, with Nigerian striker Victor Boniface scoring a crucial away goal for the Belgian side.

Despite being the underdogs, Union Saint-Gilloise will be confident of causing an upset, especially with Boniface in such scintillating form.

The 22-year-old has been a revelation for the club this season, scoring six goals in the Europa League and playing a key role in their domestic campaign.

Bayer Leverkusen, however, will be no pushovers, and will be looking to progress to the semi-finals for the first time since the 2017-18 season.

Spurred on by his dominant three-goal display against Union Berlin – another German foe – in the previous round, Bonifsce will show no fear and more flair against Leverkusen on Thursday.

Europa Conference League: West Ham vs Gent

Gift Orban will be hoping to impress once again when Gent travel to the London Stadium to face West Ham in the second leg of their Europa Conference League quarter-final tie on Thursday night.

The first leg finished in a 1-1 draw, with Orban coming close to scoring a spectacular winner with an audacious overhead kick.

Orban, who has been linked with a move to the Premier League, will be looking to showcase his talent and help Gent secure a place in the semi-finals of the competition.

The Nigerian youngster has been in superb form for Gent this season, scoring a hat-trick in the previous round against Istanbul Basaksehir.

West Ham, however, will be a tough nut to crack, and will be looking to secure a positive result in front of their home fans. The likes of Michail Antonio and Jarrod Bowen will be key players for the Hammers, who will be looking to progress to the semi-finals of a European competition for the first time since the 2006-07 season.

Orban, however, could fully announce himself to his English audience with a memorable performance in London.

Europa Conference League: Nice vs Basel

Terem Moffi’s scintillating form for OGC Nice will be put to the test once again when his side welcomes FC Basel to the Allianz Riviera for the second leg of their Europa Conference League quarterfinal on Thursday.

The Nigerian striker was the standout performer in the first leg, scoring a brace to help Nice secure a memorable 2-2 draw away from home.

Moffi’s performance in that game earned him the player of the week award in the competition, as well as the goal of the week honours for his stunning overhead kick goal.

Now, as Nice aim to reach the semifinals of a European competition for the first time in the club’s history, they will be counting on their talismanic striker to produce another match-winning display.

However, they will face a stern challenge from a Basel side that will be determined to progress to the next round.

With everything to play for, the stage is set for a thrilling encounter at the Allianz Riviera on Thursday, with Terem Moffi likely to be at the heart of the action once again.