Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen was a notable absentee as Galatasaray strolled to a 3-0 victory over Gaziantep in their opening game of the Turkish Super Lig season, Soccernet.ng reports.
Osimhen and Mauro Icardi's names were conspicuously missing from Galatasaray's squad to take on Gaziantep at the Kaylon Stadyumu on Friday.
Still, with stars like Leroy Sane, Baris Alper Yilmaz, and Gabriel Sara, the Cimbom were the odds on favourites to claim all three points.
Last season, Galatasatay coach Orkan Buruk employed a high-octane, attack-focused approach in their league games, and they stayed true to that philosophy against Gaziantep in their league opener.
The Cimbom committed men into the final third from the blast of the whistle, pressing them from the front to force mistakes and create chances.
It took just 10 minutes for Gaziantep to falter. Galatasaray won a penalty after a lengthy VAR review showed that a defender upended Roland Sallai, who was trying to get on the end of a cross from a corner kick.
Osimhen is the usual penalty taker, but Alper Yilmaz took charge of the responsibility and slotted the ball in to make it 1-0.
While the home side were still reeling from the shock of conceding first, Galatasaray struck again. This time, through the new signing of Eren Elmali.
Alper Yimaz got a chance in the box, but instead of shooting, he showed some beautiful footwork to outfox his marker and laid a pass to Elmali, who was running free.
The former Trabzonspor man simply poked the ball from close range to make it 2-0 after 16 minutes. After that, the game balanced out a little. However, they could not find the net.
Leroy Sane got an opportunity towards the end of the first half after he was played through on goal by a fine pass. But his attempt from inside the box was terrible, as it went high and wide.
Things got worse for Gaziantep just before the break, as they conceded another penalty after Sallai's heel was clipped in the box. The referee did not even need a VAR review for that one.
Alper Yimaz took charge of the situation again and converted his spot kick to make it 3-0.
Galatasaray dominated the second half and even got a man advantage after Gaziantep's goalie Mustafa Bozan was sent off for handling the ball outside the box. However, the Cimbom failed to score, as the game eventually ended 3-0.
Watch Gaziantep vs Galatasaray Highlights
Victor Osimhen Sends Strong Message to Galatasaray Fans, Teammates
Victor Osimhen's absence from Galatasaray's game did not come as a surprise, as the Super Eagles star did not have a preseason due to the uncertainty surrounding his future.
Nonetheless, he followed the game. The 26-year-old Super Eagles star posted a video of himself watching the match on a television. At the time, Erin Elmali was celebrating the second goal for Galatasaray.
— Victor Osimhen (@victorosimhen9) August 8, 2025
Osimhen captioned it, “Big mood, we keep going!”
The Super Eagles star has a good relationship with his teammates, and it was a solidarity post to show that even though he was not on the pitch, he was supporting them.
Galatasaray's next game is against Fatih Karagumruk at Rams Park next Saturday, and Victor Osimhen should be available to play.
