Victor Osimhen will return to the Galatasaray squad for this weekend’s huge Super Lig derby against Beşiktaş, Soccernet.ng reports.
The Super Eagles striker was rested on Tuesday night when Galatasaray faced Alanyaspor in the Turkish Cup.
Osimhen had scored the third goal in Galatasaray’s 3-1 league win over Alanyaspor last weekend, taking his tally to 10 league goals this season. But with Galatasaray needing only a draw to qualify from the group stage of the Turkish Cup, coach Okan Buruk decided to leave his star striker at home.
Even without Osimhen, Galatasaray were comfortable at the GAİN Park Stadium in Alanya. Goals from Barış Alper Yılmaz and Renato Nhaga gave the Lions a 2-1 win. That result meant Galatasaray finished top of Group A, winning all four of their matches to reach the quarter-finals.
Now, their focus returns to the league and a massive clash awaits.
Galatasaray v Besiktas: Buruk confident as Ndidi prepares for key role
Saturday’s game at the Tüpraş Stadium will be the 340th meeting between the two Istanbul rivals. Galatasaray have won 128 times, while Besiktas have 116 victories.
On paper, league leaders Galatasaray are favourites against fourth-placed Besiktas. But derby matches in Turkey are often unpredictable.
Last season, when the two sides met at this same stadium, Besiktas won 2-1 and kept Osimhen quiet.
This time, Buruk believes things will be different.
“We're going to play against a very good team,” Buruk told the Galatasaray website.
“Especially against us, Beşiktaş will be at their best, highly motivated, and in top form. They have an improving performance. We know that with Coach Sergen, the team's performance has improved, and they've been strengthened by the new transfers.
“We are aware of how strong our opponent is. But we are Galatasaray, and we go into every match to win. Hopefully, it will be a good match. We always go onto the field to win. It doesn't matter if other teams drop points; both teams will go onto the field aiming for victory.”
Besiktas have improved greatly under coach Sergen Yalçın, who took charge in August. Since then, they have averaged 1.94 points per game, their best run since Şenol Güneş in 2023.
Nigeria midfielder Wilfred Ndidi has been part of that strong run. Besiktas are unbeaten in their last 16 matches, with their last defeat coming against Fenerbahçe in November, and that loss came after they were reduced to ten men.
Ndidi is expected to protect the defence and try to stop Osimhen, his vice-captain with the Nigerian national team, in what promises to be a fierce and exciting derby battle.
