Osimhen second to Mbappe in UCL speed rating

Nigeria striker Victor Osimhen now ranks second behind Kylian Mbappé for distance covered below 7 km/h among centre-forwards still active in this season’s UEFA Champions League.

This is according to newly released data by the CIES Football Observatory. The report assessed running metrics of players whose clubs remain in the competition, outlining both maximum sprint speeds and the proportion of distance covered across defined speed ranges.

Low-speed movement breakdown

Mbappé, who plays for Real Madrid, recorded 43.5 per cent of his total distance at speeds below 7 km/h, the highest share among the 100 players analysed.

Osimhen, representing Galatasaray, followed with 41.9 per cent.

The data reflects the movement profiles of centre-forwards during phases of controlled play, including positioning and link-up involvement rather than sprint output alone.

Sprint rankings and overall speed

In the maximum speed category, Anthony Gordon of Newcastle United emerged as the fastest player overall, clocking 37.92 km/h.

Among strikers, Mbappé led with a top speed of 35.67 km/h, while Osimhen placed 11th in the positional ranking after recording 33.45 km/h.

Osimhen’s mark places him ahead of several prominent attackers in the competition, including Viktor Gyökeres of Arsenal, Omar Marmoush of Manchester City, Alexander Sørloth of Atlético Madrid and Ayoub El Kaabi of Olympiacos.

The Nigeria international has recorded six goals and two assists in seven Champions League appearances this season.