Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen made his second debut for Galatasaray in their 3-0 victory over newly-promoted Fatih Katagumruk, Soccernet.ng reports.
Osimhen completed his transfer to Galatasaray three weeks ago, but he was not part of the team for their opening-day win over Gaziantep.
He had not played any game since June and was lacking match fitness. So coach Orkan Buruk named him on the bench.
However, against Karagumruk, Buruk named the 26-year-old Nigerian striker on the bench, as he opted for Baris Alper Yilmaz to lead the attack.
Alper Yilmaz scored twice against Gaziantep last week, and he continued from where he left off, scoring the opener for the Cimbom after just ten minutes.
Even after scoring, Galatasaray continued to dominated the game. But they lacked the cutting edge in the final third, as chances fell to Mario Lemina and Leroy Sane.
Galatasaray got an extra man advantage in the 23rd minute, as Marius Doh got sent off after a VAR review. But they could not capitalize, as the first half ended 1-0.
The Cimbom started the second half with some fire, creating multiple chances minutes into the restart. But they failed to convert.
As the game continued to drag on, coach Buruk introduced Osimhen into the game in the 61st minute.
How did Victor Osimhen perform for Galatasaray?
As Victor Osimhen walked onto the pitch, he was treated to a rapturous applause by the Galatasaray fans.
His introduction changed the complexion of the game, as Galatasaray became more direct with their attack. With him in front, they also had an extra presence in Karagumruk’s box.
The Super Eagles star had two goal attempts in his 30 minutes of action, but just one threatened the goalkeeper.
Galatasaray scored their second goal of the game within 13 minutes of the Nigerian’s introduction, as Karagumruk defender Fatih Kurucuk inadvertently put the ball in his own net.
Then, in the 87th minute, Mauro Icardi, who was introduced in the 81st minute, scored to make it 3-0.
The game eventually ended that way, as the Cimbom claimed their second consecutive victory and maintained their perfect start to the Super Lig campaign.
For Osimhen, he will look to start Galatasaray’s next game against Kayserispor at the Kadir Has Stadium next week.
