Victor Osimhen scored two brilliant headers to help Galatasaray secure an important away victory over Rizespor in the Turkish Super League matchday 23......CONTINUE READING THE ARTICLE FROM THE SOURCE>>>>>
Galatasaray came into the match off the back of an embarrassing 4-1 defeat away at AZ Alkmaar in the UEFA Europa League knockout playoffs first legs in the Netherlands.
Rizespor held their ground against the champions in the first half, which ended goalless at halftime, but the league leaders came alive in the second half to secure the win.
Osimhen opened the scoring with a powerful header in the 47th minute, and the home team responded immediately through Ali Sowe and appeared to be walking away with a point.
The loan striker, who was relentless, powered another brilliant header past the opponent’s goalkeeper in the 86th minute, flicking on Mario Lemina’s header to win it.
Osimhen helps Galatasaray to history
Galatasaray extended their lead at the top of the Turkish Super League to six points over fiercest rivals, Fenerbahce, ahead of the Istanbul derby next weekend.
As noted by Opta Can, the champions have won 20 games and drew three in the league this season, becoming the first team in Turkish history to achieve that number of wins.
The champions, who have picked up 10 wins on the road out of 11 games, have achieved a 91% win on the road, the most at this stage in the competition’s history.
Osimhen also became the player who has won the most points for his team this season, with his 14 goals winning 16 points for Okan Buruk’s side, the most in the league, underlying his importance to the team.
According to Sofascore, the former LOSC Lille striker’s goals tonight were his first open-play goals in the league since he scored against Kayserispor on December 22, 2024.
Okan Buruk praises Galatasaray players
Head coach Okan Buruk was delighted by the effort of his players to come out victorious despite the difficulty of the match at an away ground.
“Rizespor is a team that plays well. It has good players and a good coach. It has a good stadium, ground and audience. This away game is very difficult. Here, when you make mistakes, you also involve the opponent in the game. There was pressure from the fans,” he said, as quoted by galatasaray.org.
“My players are very special to me. At that moment, they wanted to share the goal with me. They are very valuable players. We will achieve great success with them. We will also celebrate this year’s championship with them, God willing.”
Osimhen’s future takes new twist
Legit.ng reported that Osimhen’s future took a new twist after reports that two teams in the top five European leagues proposed a verbal offer to the Nigerian striker.
These offers to the Super Eagles forward, coupled with reports that he is set to sign for a new agency, have weakened Galatasaray’s chances, and he is set to leave Turkey in June.