Liverpool coach Arne Slot has admitted that the early injury to Victor Osimhen made it easier for his side to overturn their deficit and defeat Galatasaray on Wednesday, Soccernet.ng reports.
The Reds secured their spot in the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals after a commanding 4-0 victory at Anfield.
It was an important turnaround for Liverpool, who entered the night trailing by a goal from the first leg at Rams Park in Istanbul last week.
Nigerian talisman Osimhen had been the architect of Liverpool's troubles in that first leg, providing the assist for Mario Lemina’s winner.
Also, having already scored against the Premier League side during the group stages, the Super Eagles striker was the man Liverpool feared most heading into the return fixture.
However, the tide turned in the 10th minute when Osimhen sustained an injury after clashing with Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate.
While he tried to continue playing with the issue, his influence was clearly hampered, and he was eventually substituted at halftime.
Without their focal point, the Turkish champions struggled to maintain their shape, and fell like a pack of cards in the second half.
Following the match, Galatasaray confirmed that the striker suffered a forearm fracture and may require surgery — a massive blow for the Cimbom, given Osimhen’s status as their most influential player.
Arne Slot Talks Up “Incredible” Victor Osimhen
Speaking after the game, Arne Slot was quick to praise the Nigerian's impact, acknowledging that the injury changed the complexion of the tie.
”Osimhen is an incredible player for them,” Slot noted. “Yeah, [the injury] worked for us, but when you look at the first 10 minutes and how the team played with him, I thought he would play the full 90 because the rest of the team plays so well off him,” Slot said.
Slot also touched on the relief of not having to face a fully fit Osimhen for the duration of the match:
”He’s shown many times in his career that he can score a goal all of a sudden. It’s not nice to see any player get injured, but he’s been very influential on Galatasaray’s performance,” Slot added.
“It was a difficult task for us when we played them in their stadium, largely because of their fans. It is a huge advantage for us to get ahead without conceding when facing that kind of pressure.”
According to a release on Galatasaray's page, Victor Osimhen is expected to undergo surgery to fix his fractured forearm. This means that he will be out for at least a month.
It is a big blow for both the Super Eagles striker and the Cimbom, who are fighting for the Super Lig title and the Turkish Cup. They will be hoping that the results go their way in the coming weeks.
