Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen praised his Galatasaray teammates for a job well done after they battled to a valiant 1-1 draw against Spanish giants Atletico Madrid in Wednesday night’s Champions League clash at RAMS Park, Footynaija.com reports.
Osimhen was away at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations with Nigeria until a few days ago but wasted no time in making himself available for training and selection as Okan Buruk’s Lions locked horns with Diego Simeone’s Los Colchoneros.
While the masked hitman couldn’t mark his return with a goal, he played the full 90 minutes as a Marcos Llorente own goal in the 20th minute cancelled out Guiliano Simeone’s 4th minute opener for Atleti to ensure the game finished level by full-time.
Speaking to the club’s official website after the game, Osimhen expressed his delight with Galatasaray’s performance on the night; “Of course, I missed everyone, especially the fans, very much. We knew before the match that we would be playing against a strong opponent.
“I congratulate my teammates for their fight throughout the 90 minutes; we did a good job against a great opponent. The match was 50-50. We had chances to finish the game in some moments. I’m happy with our performance.”
Galatasaray now have 10 points from seven games and need a win in their final league phase game to absolutely guarantee themselves a place in the play-off rounds. However, this last game entails a trip to Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium next week with the Cityzens eyeing one of those automatic qualification slots.
“Manchester City is one of the best teams in the world,” Osimhen added. “We’ll take it one game at a time. We’ll focus on the league first, then on that game. It won’t be easy, but I trust my team. I’m looking at it positively. We can get something out of it. The most important thing is to have a good game, like we did against Atletico.”
Before their trip to England, Galatasaray have domestic engagements this weekend with a Super Lig clash against Fatih Karagumuruk on the horizon. The Lions will be keen to secure a victory and build momentum for their Champions League battle with City.
