Nigeria’s Super Eagles striker, Victor Osimhen, marked his return from injury with an assist as Galatasaray secured a 3-1 victory over Kasimpasa in an Istanbul derby.
The former Napoli player, who had been sidelined for a month after sustaining an injury in another Istanbul derby against Istanbul Basaksehir, came on for Deniz Gul in the 77th minute.
Osimhen made an immediate impact, setting up Mario Lemina for Galatasaray’s third goal deep into stoppage time to seal the victory.
The 27-year-old has now recorded six goals and three assists in five Turkish Super Lig appearances for the Yellow and Reds this season.
His impressive return is expected to boost Galatasaray ahead of their UEFA Champions League clash against Barcelona next Tuesday, with the skillful striker tipped to feature in the starting lineup.
The victory also propelled Galatasaray to the top of the Turkish Super Lig table.
Meanwhile, Galatasaray assistant coach İrfan Saraloğlu has spoken about Victor Osimhen’s return from injury following his contribution to the club’s 3-1 victory over Kasimpasa on Friday evening.
The former Napoli forward replaced Deniz Gul with 13 minutes remaining as Galatasaray sought to secure the win at Rams Park.
Osimhen, who created several scoring opportunities after coming on, provided an assist for the team’s final goal, scored by Gabonese midfielder Mario Lemina in the closing stages of the match.
Following the match, Saraloğlu disclosed that Galatasaray’s performance declined after Lucas Torreira was sent off in the 65th minute.
“After the dismissal in the second half, we adopted a more defensive approach, compromising our tactical structure.
“However, I must note that Sanchez was out of position when the goal was conceded. They capitalised on that space,” he stated, according to Galatasaray’s official website.
The Galatasaray assistant coach also explained the reason for introducing Osimhen late in the match, emphasising that the club prioritised preventing a recurrence of his injury.
“Osimhen has only recently recovered from injury, so we needed to manage his workload carefully. We also had to consider the welfare of players returning from international commitments,” he added.
Osimhen will be pleased with his comeback from injury and will aim to maintain his impressive form throughout the 2026/2027 season.
Before his injury, the former Lille star had scored six goals and provided two assists in four matches against Corum FK, Erzurumspor FK, Göztepe, and Istanbul Başakşehir.
Packaged by Lanre Olabisi
