OSIMHEN STARS AGAIN AS TURKISH CHAMPIONS MAKE IT TWO WINS IN A ROW
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Victor Osimhen’s pair of goals propelled Galatasaray to a 3-1 victory over Bodø/Glimt in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday, allowing the Turkish team to achieve consecutive European triumphs after securing only one win in their preceding 18 main-draw encounters.
An already animated home crowd at RamsPark had reason to celebrate just three minutes into the match, when Mario Lemina threaded a pass through to Osimhen, who adeptly outmaneuvered Nikita Haikin with a precise finish.
The visitors struggled against the relentless intensity of Osimhen and the atmosphere, as the forward connected with two crosses from Leroy Sané but was thwarted by Haikin. Bodø/Glimt gradually began to launch their own counterattacks and enjoyed several moments of possession that drew disdainful reactions from the stands, yet they were unable to test Uğurcan Çakır.
Osimhen reaffirmed his menace when he seized on a misplayed clearance from Odin Bjørtuft following Ismail Jakobs’ cross, although Haikin was quick enough to thwart his effort.
However, in the 33rd minute, the goalkeeper found himself utterly powerless as Osimhen capitalized on a careless backpass from Fredrik André Bjørkan, rounding Haikin before sliding the ball into the vacant net.
Opportunities did arise for the visitors before the halftime break, as Jens Petter Hauge sent a shot wide after Roland Sallai lost possession to Sondre Brunstad Fet, who subsequently struck the post from distance.
Kjetil Knutsen’s team maintained their attacking intent following the halftime interval, with Bjørkan embarking on an ambitious run before passing to Sondre Auklend, whose shot was blocked.
They received a significant warning moments later when both Osimhen and Yunus Akgün squandered a chance to shoot prior to Sané being denied.
Failure to heed this warning proved costly, as Haitam Aleesami was dispossessed by Osimhen at the edge of the box, allowing Akgün to score past Haikin on his second attempt. Fredrik Sjøvold, the next Bodø/Glimt player to relinquish possession to Osimhen, managed to recover and block the striker’s subsequent shot after the first was saved.
The visitors finally found the net in the 76th minute, with Andreas Helmersen heading in Bjørkan’s cross. Nonetheless, there was little doubt that Galatasaray would secure their 21st victory from the last 23 matches across all competitions, continuing their impressive response to the heavy loss suffered against Eintracht Frankfurt on the opening day of the UCL group stage.
They also ended Bodø/Glimt’s five-match unbeaten streak in European group phase contests, leaving the Norwegian side with merely two points.
The 26-year-old Super Eagles forward previously shared the record for scoring in the most consecutive European matches with former Galatasaray striker Burak Yilmaz, who netted in six straight European games for the club in 2012.
With Wednesday’s brace, the former Napoli striker has now become the sole record holder, surpassing Yilmaz, who has since retired and is now managing Gaziantep.
Osimhen, who netted 37 goals and contributed seven assists in 41 matches for Galatasaray during the previous season prior to signing a permanent four-year contract in August, found the scoreline against Tottenham Hotspur, AZ Alkmaar, Dynamo Kiev, and Ajax in the UEFA Europa League last season, and successfully maintained his scoring streak against Liverpool in Galatasaray’s 1-0 triumph in their most recent Champions League appearance.
Galatasaray coach Okan Buruk’s squad now occupies a more favorable position in the Champions League rankings after achieving two wins and one loss in their initial three encounters.
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