Super Eagles striker, Victor Osimhen endured a frustrating outing as Galatasaray secured a narrow 1-0 victory over Genclerbirligi in Ankara on Saturday, thanks to a late own goal by goalkeeper Irfan Can Egribayat.

The decisive moment came in the 88th minute when Egribayat mishandled the ball under pressure from substitute Deniz Gül, turning it into his own net and handing the Turkish champions all three points at the Eryaman Stadium.

Osimhen

Osimhen played the full 90 minutes in the Matchweek Eight encounter but failed to find the net despite being Galatasaray’s most threatening attacking player.

The 27-year-old recorded seven shots, the highest by any player in the match, although only two were on target. Two attempts were blocked, while three missed the target. He also registered 10 touches inside the opposition penalty area, more than any other player on the pitch.

Goalkeeper

However, Genclerbirligi goalkeeper, Egribayat repeatedly denied the Nigerian forward. His standout save came when he stopped a close-range header from Osimhen that appeared destined for the net, leaving the striker visibly frustrated.

Osimhen contributed in other areas, completing 75 per cent of his passes, making two key passes and creating a big chance that his teammates failed to convert. He also won six of his 10 duels, recorded one clearance and made one recovery. Sofascore rated his performance at 6.8.

The victory ended Osimhen’s run of scoring or providing an assist in each of his previous 18 Turkish league appearances for Galatasaray since December. During that spell, he scored 18 goals and supplied eight assists.

The striker had returned from a 35-day injury layoff the previous weekend, registering an assist in his comeback appearance.

Goalkeeper Uğurcan Çakır was Galatasaray’s standout performer, making six saves, including four from inside the penalty area, to earn a Sofascore rating of 8.8.

The victory was important for Galatasaray as they sought to respond to a 4-1 home defeat by Barcelona in the Champions League on Tuesday, a result that left them without a point from their opening two matches in the competition.

Galatasaray will next face Lille in the Champions League before taking on domestic rivals Fenerbahçe in the league over the following nine days. Osimhen will be hoping to rediscover his scoring touch in the upcoming fixtures.

Credit: punchng.com