Galatasaray boss talks up Osimhen, Icardi partnership ahead of crunch Juventus tie

Galatasaray manager Okan Buruk has expressed his delight at seeing Victor Osimhen and Mauro Icardi combine so effectively in Friday night’s emphatic victory over Eyuspor, Soccernet.ng reports.

The striking duo were simply too hot to handle as Galatasaray cruised to a dominant 5-1 win in front of their home fans.

For much of the season, Buruk had stuck with a familiar 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3 setup, which usually meant only one of Osimhen or Icardi led the line at a time.

But against Eyuspor, the experienced coach switched to a bold 4-4-2 formation, and it paid off in style. Icardi fired in a stunning hat-trick, while Osimhen provided two assists, marking the first time in his career he has registered a double assist in a single match.

It was also Galatasaray’s first five-goal haul in a competitive game since April 2025, coincidentally against the same opponents.

The performance felt like a clear response to critics who believed the two star forwards could not thrive together.

“Icardi's 3 goals, Osimhen's 2 assists… There are many positive things,” Buruk told Galatasaray official website after the match.

“We played with two strikers. We used it in the Kocaelispor match, and people thought Osimhen and Icardi couldn't play together. We tried it and got positive results.

“There were some new players. Sacha Boey is very out of match practice. He hasn't played 90 minutes in a long time. Wilfried Singo played 45 minutes. Renato Nhaga came on and our fans were very supportive. There was a great atmosphere, we gave our fans a wonderful night. We are continuing on our path.”

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Galatasaray confident ahead of daunting Juventus Champions League test

Attention now quickly turns to a mouth-watering UEFA Champions League playoff clash with Italian heavyweights Juventus.

The first leg will take place in Istanbul next week, before the decisive return match in Turin. While Juventus go into the tie as favourites, Buruk believes his side can trouble the Serie A giants.

“We will prepare for Juventus,” Buruk added.

“A very different match and a very strong opponent awaits us. We will immediately recover mentally and prepare. You know how Atletico Madrid plays, but Juventus has very different formations. Their build-up play can change from time to time. They have players who are very difficult to predict. They have very good wing players up front, Kenan Yıldız is very valuable. They don't give away easy chances.”

Galatasaray have not reached the Champions League round of 16 in more than a decade, but Buruk is determined to change that this season.

“It's a two-legged match and we will think like that,” he noted. “We are in a much better place physically, mentally and in terms of squad. Our goal will be to beat Juventus.”

Osimhen’s impact has been crucial so far, with nine league goals in 16 appearances, alongside another six strikes in the Champions League.