Victor Osimhen of Galatasaray warm up before the Turkish Super League match between Basaksehir FK and Galatasaray at Basaksehir Fatih Terim Stadyumu on January 12, 2025 in Istanbul, Turkey. Photo by IMAGO
Victor Osimhen was full of praise for his teammates and the club fans after firing a brace to inspire Galatasaray to a hard-fought 2-1 win at Rizespor on Monday night, Soccernet.ng reports.
Victor Osimhen delivered a stunning two-goal performance and claimed the man-of-the-match award as Galatasaray went six points clear of Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahce at the top of the Turkish Super Lig.
The Nigerian striker, making his return after missing Galatasaray’s Europa League playoff defeat to AZ Alkmaar, proved decisive, netting twice to ensure his side took all three points and strengthened their title push.
After a cagey first half, Osimhen wasted little time making an impact after the restart. Just two minutes into the second half, the 25-year-old rose highest to meet Przemyslaw Frankowski’s pinpoint cross, powering a header into the net to break the deadlock in the 47th minute.
Rizespor responded quickly, leveling the score in the 54th minute through Abdullahi Sowe.
But with the game heading towards a draw, Osimhen stepped up once again. In the 86th minute, he showed incredible awareness to redirect a header into the net, securing a dramatic late winner for Galatasaray.
Speaking after the game, Osimhen hailed the team’s collective effort and praised the club’s passionate supporters.
“I think it was a very important and very difficult match,” Osimhen said as per Galatasaray.org.
“We won, we think we won in a way we deserved. I want to congratulate the whole team. I also want to thank our fans. This victory and their support gave us a lot of morale. We are continuing our winning streak in this way.”
One of the standout moments of the night came after the final whistle when Galatasaray’s veteran goalkeeper and captain, Fernando Muslera, celebrated the victory by wearing Osimhen’s trademark face mask. The lighthearted gesture delighted the Nigerian forward.
“I had given my mask to celebrate with the fans at that time,” Osimhen noted.
“I came back and saw that he had already put it on. He is a great person beyond being a captain. He is a very important person for us. He had a very important role in this victory. I will rest my voice for a while and it will get better soon. My voice will come back to itself.”
With this win, Galatasaray extended their lead at the top of the Turkish Super Lig table, pulling six points clear of rivals Fenerbahce, who are managed by José Mourinho. The two sides will meet in a highly anticipated showdown next Monday.
Osimhen has been in scintillating form since joining Galatasaray on loan from Napoli last summer.
The Nigerian international has now netted 14 goals and provided four assists in 18 league appearances, while also registering five goals and one assist in the Europa League—taking his total to an outstanding 24 goal contributions in 24 matches across all competitions.
Galatasaray fans will be eager to see Osimhen in action again on Thursday when they face AZ Alkmaar in the second leg of their Europa League playoff. With a 4-1 deficit to overturn, the Turkish giants will be relying on their star striker to inspire another comeback.