Super Eagles and Galatasaray striker Victor Osimhen has hit out at his teammates for their poor performance in the Champions League play-off game against Juventus last night, Soccernet.ng reports.
The 27-year-old led the line for Okan Buruk’s men in the first leg as they sealed a 5-2 win over the Old Ladies at RAMS Park, but the away leg in Turin saw a drastic turn of events.
Manuel Locatelli broke the deadlock for Luciano Spalletti’s side in the 37th minute, and while the Bianconeri were limited to ten men after in the 48th minute, they pressed on.
Goals from Federico Gatti and Weston McKennie saw Juventus overturn a three-goal deficit, forcing the game to extra time.
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However, Osimhen fought to put his team in front again, scoring just before the end of the first half extra time, before Baris Asper Yilmaz made sure that the Cim Bom Aslan will be playing in England in the next round.
Osimhen hits out at Galatasaray teammates
Speaking after the game, the former Napoli man couldn’t believe his team threw a three-goal lead away, and his displeasure was evident, as he didn’t celebrate even after he scored to give Galatasaray an aggregate lead.
“It gives some sense of relief to have progressed to the next round, but I have to be honest, I was disappointed with the performance of the whole team, and I have to give kudos to Juventus for their resilience,” the Nigerian striker said in an interview with CBS Sports Golazo.
“We qualified, but I think we have a lot to improve on if we have to play the big dogs. The performance wasn’t really good. Juventus deserved the win, but I’m happy we went through.
“I psyched up my teammates to know how difficult it is to play in Turin, but some of them are timid, and when I try to motivate them to do the best they can, some were scared.
“Juventus played better with a man down, so we have to improve. When I try to speak, and some of them don’t listen, I have nothing else to say,” the 2023 CAF Player of the Year concluded.
Galatasaray will play against one of Tottenham Hotspur or Liverpool in the UEFA Champions League round of sixteen.
