Victor Osimhen has explained why he chose not to celebrate after scoring a decisive goal for Galatasaray against Juventus in Wednesday night’s dramatic Champions League clash, Soccernet.ng reports.
Juventus won 3-2 after extra time at the Allianz Stadium, but Galatasaray still progressed to the Round of 16 thanks to a 7-5 aggregate victory.
The Turkish side carried a strong advantage into the second leg after their 5-2 win in Istanbul and looked set for qualification. However, Juventus produced a remarkable response in Turin.
Despite being reduced to ten men, the Italian giants surged into a 3-0 lead on the night, forcing extra time and threatening one of the competition’s great comebacks.
But only minutes into extra time, Osimhen struck the decisive moment. The Nigerian forward powered home to restore Galatasaray’s aggregate lead and effectively seal qualification.
Instead of celebrating wildly, Osimhen simply exchanged handshakes with teammates, a reaction that quickly caught attention after the match.
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Victor Osimhen: Respect for Spalletti behind muted celebration
Speaking to Prime Video via TuttoJuve after the match, Victor Osimhen revealed his decision was driven by respect for Juventus manager Luciano Spalletti. Osimhen and Spalletti previously worked together at SSC Napoli during their historic Serie A title-winning campaign.
“No, I don't need to, I don't need to,” Osimhen said. “I think it's important to respect a man I love and who has played an important role in my career — I'm obviously talking about Spalletti. I didn't feel the need to celebrate.”
While pleased with qualification, Galatasaray’s first appearance in the Champions League Round of 16 in 12 years, Osimhen admitted he was unhappy with his team’s overall performance on the night.
“We played very poorly, even when they were a man down, so there was no reason to celebrate,” Osimhen added.
“Even when we had the opportunity to score the decisive goal, the one to make it 3-1, I didn't feel the need to celebrate. I'm not that kind of player, someone who tries to hide his emotions, or who does things like that. I saw all these people applauding the Juventus players for their performance, and I can say I'm happy…”
Galatasaray will now wait for Friday’s draw to discover their next opponent, with either Liverpool or Tottenham Hotspur awaiting them in the knockout stage.
