Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen has once again proven his worth on the biggest stage as he helped Okan Buruk’s side survive a dramatic second leg to eliminate Juventus from the UEFA Champions League playoffs, Footynaija.com reports.
Galatasaray had gone into the second leg at the Allianz Stadium carrying a 5-2 cushion from the first leg in Istanbul, where Noa Lang’s brace, goals from Gabriel Sara, Davinson Sanchez and Sacha Boey had given the CimBom Aslan a commanding advantage.
The Nigerian had assisted the visitors’ last two goals during the first leg. Juventus now needed a mountain, and for long spells in Turin, the Italian side genuinely looked like they could climb it.
Luciano Spalletti’s men reduced the deficit through Manuel Locatelli’s first-half penalty, before Federico Gatti and Weston McKennie struck to level the tie at 5-5 on aggregate and push the game into extra time.
A red card to Lloyd Kelly further complicated the night, and the home side’s pressure, generating 5.20 expected goals from 28 shots, per Flashscore, told the story of how close the tie got.
Victor Osimhen Seals Galatasaray’s Fate
When it mattered most, Galatasaray had Osimhen. The 27-year-old showed trademark composure in the 105th minute, finishing coolly through the legs of Mattia Perin to put the tie beyond Juventus.
Baris Alper Yilmaz added a second in the 119th minute to complete a 2-3 scoreline on the night, confirming progression to the round of sixteen despite the defeat.
It was a goal that revealed what Osimhen has meant to Galatasaray since arriving from Napoli. Across 64 appearances for the club, he has now scored 53 goals and added 10 assists, numbers that have kept him in conversations alongside the very best strikers in the world.
Galatasaray now await the outcome of the round of sixteen draw, scheduled for Friday, where they could face Liverpool or Tottenham Hotspur.
They have already beaten Liverpool 1-0 in Istanbul during the league phase, and they will go into that draw with the confidence of a squad that just stared down Juventus and blinked last.
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