In a thrilling match on Thursday night, Victor Osimhen showcased his talent as Galatasaray defeated PAOK FC of Greece 3-1 in the UEFA Europa League.
This was Osimhen’s first official game for Galatasaray after joining from Napoli.
Although he did not score, his influence on the game was undeniable.
The match began with Galatasaray dominating possession and creating several chances.
Osimhen almost found the net just 20 seconds into the game.
His header narrowly missed, sailing over the crossbar.
The first half ended without any goals, but the second half was a different story.
Just three minutes after the restart, Osimhen’s powerful header from a corner kick was deflected into the net by PAOK’s Ghanaian defender, Abdul Rahman Baba.
This unfortunate own goal marked the opening score for Galatasaray, giving them a 1-0 lead.
Despite going down, PAOK did not give up easily.
In the 67th minute, they equalized thanks to Giannis Konstantelias.
After fumbling an earlier chance, Konstantelias scored from close range.
His goal came after a cross-shot from Jonny rebounded off Galatasaray goalkeeper Günay Güvenç, allowing Konstantelias to level the match at 1-1.
Osimhen’s Impact
Galatasaray needed to respond quickly, and they did just that.
Just nine minutes after PAOK’s equalizer, Osimhen set up Yunus Akgün with a brilliant header.
Akgün fired the ball into the net, putting Galatasaray back in the lead at 2-1.
Osimhen’s ability to create opportunities was clear.
He was involved in multiple attacks and consistently posed a threat to the PAOK defense.
As the match approached the final moments, Galatasaray secured their victory with a third goal in injury time.
Substitute Mauro Icardi beautifully side-footed the ball past the PAOK goalkeeper, Kotarski, sealing a 3-1 win for Galatasaray.
With this victory, Galatasaray looks set to advance to the knockout stages of the competition.
They have an impressive record, losing only once in their last 13 group-stage matches in the Europa League.
For PAOK, this defeat continues a troubling trend.
They have now won only one of their last 11 matches in the Europa League, with three draws and seven losses.
The team will need to regroup if they hope to improve their fortunes in the competition.
