Barcelona forward Lamine Yamal has admitted that Victor Osimhen’s disallowed goal could have made the Spanish giants’ Champions League encounter against Galatasaray much more difficult.
Osimhen thought he had doubled Galatasaray’s advantage with a powerful header from a corner during the meeting at RAMS Park in Istanbul.
However, the Super Eagles striker’s effort was ruled out following a VAR review, denying the Turkish champions what would have been a potentially crucial second goal against the Spanish heavyweights.
Barcelona eventually recovered to secure a commanding 4-1 victory, but Yamal acknowledged that the decision significantly changed the contest.
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Yamal explains why Osimhen’s goal mattered
Galatasaray entered the match looking to upset Barcelona, who arrived in Istanbul as favourites following their excellent start to the season.
The hosts began brightly and took the lead through Russian playmaker Aleksey Batrakov, putting the visitors under pressure in a difficult away atmosphere.
Osimhen, backed by Oshoala’s prediction, then appeared to strengthen Galatasaray’s position when he headed home from a corner. The celebrations were short-lived, however, as VAR intervened and the goal was disallowed.
Yamal believes Barcelona would have faced a far tougher challenge had the Nigerian striker’s effort stood. Osimhen had even been tipped to torment Barcelona on the night.
“If Galatasaray’s second goal hadn’t been disallowed, our job in Istanbul would have been very tough!” the Barcelona teenager said per Le Marca Sports.
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The Spain international also admitted the challenge of playing at RAMS Park, where the home supporters are known for creating an intimidating atmosphere for visiting teams.
“We knew we were going to play in a really tough stadium. This is one of the hardest places we could play away. Galatasaray is a quality team,” Yamal added.
The result leaves Barcelona with six points from their opening two Champions League matches, and takes them to the top of the table.
Galatasaray, however, slipped to 34th on the standings and could finish the matchday at rock-bottom if Bodo/Glimt and Slovan Bratislava picked up positive results on Wednesday.
Osimhen and his teammates are still searching for their first Champions League point of their campaign after losing their games against Sporting CP and Barcelona.
