Galatasaray are on the verge of setting a new UEFA Champions League record for Turkish sides when the club face Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday, Soccernet.ng reports.
Securing qualification to the knockout rounds will be the first target for the Super Lig giants but getting that job done with a couple of goals in the bag will set a new mark in the competition.
Galatasaray are two goals short of becoming the first club from Turkey to reach 250 goals in the European Cup and Champions League combined, and much of the responsibility is expected to fall on Victor Osimhen.
The Nigerian striker has been the focal point of Gala’s European campaign, scoring six times in five matches despite drawing a blank in the most recent 1-1 draw with Atletico Madrid.
Osimhen remains the club’s leading scorer this season and, at 27, is also closing in on a personal landmark. One more European goal would move him clear of Shabani Nonda and Milan Baros at the top of Galatasaray’s foreign scorers’ list in continental competition. It would also be his 50th goal in all competitions for the club, taking him to a figure bettered among current players only by Mauro Icardi.
Osimhen’s impact since arriving has been striking: 49 goals in 57 appearances, including important strikes against Liverpool, Bodo/Glimt and Ajax in Europe. Fresh from helping Nigeria finish third at the Africa Cup of Nations, he will again lead the line, with former City players İlkay Gündoğan and Leroy Sané among those supporting the attack against their old club.
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Crucial night for Osimhen's Galatasaray
Beyond the individual stories, the match carries clear competitive stakes.
Manchester City begin the final round of the league phase sitting 11th, outside the top eight only on goal difference, while Galatasaray are 17th, three points off the top eight but with a narrow cushion over the chasing pack. City know a win, and favourable results elsewhere, would keep them clear of the play-offs.
Gala, meanwhile, are focused on making sure they reach the knockout rounds, even if a late push for the top eight still requires several results to fall their way.
Pep Guardiola’s side have been strong at home in this competition for years, though recent results have introduced uncertainty, and they will again be without several injured players, while Rodri is suspended. Erling Haaland and Phil Foden are expected to return to the starting line-up. Galatasaray arrive as underdogs and with their own absentees, but their European form this season includes wins over Liverpool and Bodo/Glimt; the same Norwegian side that recently beat City.
City will be favourites, yet the visitors come with motivation, history within reach, and a striker who has made a habit of turning big nights into personal milestones. If Galatasaray are to write a new Turkish chapter in the Champions League, Osimhen is the most likely author.
