UCL: Osimhen Fires Galatasaray To Lille Victory, Claims Man Of The Match Award
Victor Osimhen delivered a decisive performance against his former club Lille, scoring in Galatasaray’s thrilling 4-2 away victory to claim the Man of the Match award in Wednesday night’s UEFA Champions League encounter.
The Super Eagles striker capped an impressive display with a 61st-minute goal, finishing off a swift counter-attack with a powerful right-footed strike to seal Galatasaray’s first Champions League victory of the campaign.
Both sides entered the Matchday Three encounter desperate for their first points after losing their opening two fixtures. Lille had suffered defeats against Real Betis and Arsenal, while Galatasaray fell to Sporting Lisbon and Barcelona.
Osimhen’s goal proved crucial as the Turkish champions secured a much-needed victory, lifting them to 23rd place in the 36-team league-phase standings. Lille, meanwhile, remained without a point after three matches.
Despite his decisive contribution, the Nigerian forward refused to celebrate against Lille, where he scored 18 goals during the 2019/20 season and earned the club’s Player of the Season award before moving to Napoli.
UEFA’s Technical Observer Group named Osimhen Man of the Match, recognising his intelligent movement and constant threat to Lille’s defence.
The 27-year-old has now recorded seven goals and three assists in eight appearances across all competitions this season, underlining his importance to Galatasaray’s attacking ambitions.
Speaking after the encounter, Osimhen praised Lille’s supporters and acknowledged the difficulty of the contest.
“I love this stadium. The fans are incredible. We had a tough match. I’m very happy for our team; we won. I also wish Lille good luck in their next matches,” he said.
The striker also delivered a defiant response to his critics, insisting that his quality in front of goal speaks for itself.
“Nobody can teach me how to play with the ball or how to score goals. I’m one of the best strikers in the world,” Osimhen declared.
Galatasaray will next host VfB Stuttgart on November 3 as they look to build on their European breakthrough.
