Victor Osimhen scored his ninth Süper Lig goal of the season as Galatasaray beat city rivals Istanbul Basaksehir 3-0 on Saturday to stretch their lead at the top of the table to seven points, Footynaija.com reports.
The first half was tight and goalless, with Basaksehir’s Festy Ebosele giving the visitors some attacking energy down the left and Galatasaray struggling to break through a compact defensive shape.
The game changed in the 56th minute when Ebosele, already on a yellow card, fouled Roland Sallai on the right flank and was shown a second yellow, leaving Basaksehir to play the final 34 minutes a man short.
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Galatasaray made their numerical advantage count immediately. One minute after the red card, Wilfried Singo met Noa Lang’s cross from a set piece and powered a right-footed shot into the roof of the net to break the deadlock.
Osimhen, who had been lively throughout the first half without reward, made it two nine minutes later.
The 27-year-old had been involved in many chances before his goal came, firing a right-footed effort that the Basaksehir keeper Muhammed Sengezer pushed away, then having a follow-up left-footed effort blocked from close range inside the six-yard box.
When the goal finally came, it was clinical. Yunus Akgun played a threaded through ball into the box, and Osimhen controlled it, shifted onto his right foot and fired into the top right corner.
It was his eighth league goal in his last eight Süper Lig appearances, a run of form that tells its own story heading into what promises to be a decisive final stretch of the season.
Renato Nhaga added a third late on, and Okan Buruk’s side now have 64 points from 26 games, with Galatasaray well placed to win a fourth consecutive Süper Lig title.
The focus turns to Liverpool on Tuesday, where they travel to Anfield holding a 1-0 advantage from the first leg of the Champions League round of 16.
