Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen was on target for Galatasaray in their narrow 3-2 loss to Juventus in the second leg of their UEFA Champions League Round of 16 playoff on Wednesday, Soccernet.ng reports.
Despite the loss on the night, the Turkish giants progressed to the next round.
Recall that the Cimbom had established a firm grip on the tie with a 5-2 win in the first leg. All Osimhen and his teammates needed to do at the Allianz Stadium was avoid a three-goal defeat to secure their spot in the Quarter-finals.
The early exchanges were end-to-end. Osimhen had a golden opportunity in the 11th minute after latching onto a fine headed pass from Abdulkerim Bardakci, but he was denied by a spectacular save from Mattia Perin.
Only three minutes later, the Nigerian found himself in the referee's book, receiving a yellow card for a late challenge on Weston McKennie.
Juventus soon took charge, looking dangerous in the final third. Chances fell to Manuel Locatelli, Francisco Conceicao, and Kenan Yildiz, but they initially failed to convert.
Their breakthrough finally arrived in the 37th minute after Lucas Torreira conceded a penalty. Locatelli stepped up and converted with aplomb to make it 1-0.
The Old Lady received a major boost heading into the interval, but they lost some of that momentum just four minutes into the second half when Lloyd Kelly was sent off. Despite being a man down, Juventus remained the better side for the next 20 minutes.
Osimhen had three clear looks at goal between the 60th and 70th minutes, but Perin remained in his element, making several smart saves to keep the Super Eagles star at bay. However, the pressure from Juventus eventually told.
Federico Gatti doubled the lead in the 70th minute, and just 12 minutes later, McKennie shocked the visitors with a third goal. That effort leveled the aggregate score and forced the game into extra time.
It was in extra time that Galatasaray finally killed the tie. At the stroke of halftime in the first period of extra time, Osimhen drove a dagger into the hearts of the Juventus faithful. He neatly converted a pass from Baris Alper Yilmaz to make it 3-1 on the night.
That goal took the wind out of Juventus’ sails. In the 118th minute, Baris Alper Yilmaz turned from provider to scorer, sealing the result. Though the game ended 3-2 in favor of Juventus in Turin, Galatasaray emerged victorious with a 7-5 aggregate scoreline.
Victor Osimhen Breaks Turkish Football Jinx
Galatasaray's victory over Juventus ensured that a Turkish club qualified for the round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League for the first time in 12 years.
The last Turkish club to make it to this competition was the Cimbom in 2014, so this is a big deal for them and football in the country.
More to follow…