Osimhen Hails Galatasaray Victory, Sends Warning To Fenerbahçe
Nigerian striker refuses to celebrate against former club Lille, turns attention to fierce Fenerbahçe derby
Victor Osimhen has expressed delight at Galatasaray’s 4-2 away victory over Lille in the UEFA Champions League, while declaring his readiness for the eagerly anticipated Turkish derby against Fenerbahçe.
The Nigerian international scored Galatasaray’s fourth goal in the 61st minute, converting a pass from Baris Alper Yilmaz to register his first Champions League goal of the season.
Osimhen, who refused to celebrate against his former club, was named Player of the Match by UEFA’s Technical Observer Group for his movement and constant threat to Lille’s defence.
“I love this stadium. The fans are incredible. We had a tough match. I’m very happy for our team; we won. I also wish Lille good luck in their next matches,” Osimhen told UEFA.com.
“Lille players are very tough. They even took the lead. We managed to win the match together as a team. I’m happy we got the three points.”
Speaking separately to reporters after the encounter, the Super Eagles striker emphasised the importance of maintaining Galatasaray’s momentum ahead of their showdown with fierce rivals Fenerbahçe.
“When we talk about the derby, of course, we are talking about an emotional game. Of course, there can be chaos. We are looking forward to it,” Osimhen said.
“Right now, winning all the derbies is almost halfway to the championship. We will play at home, we will have an advantage and we want to do our best and complete this match in the best way as a team.”
Osimhen also thanked Galatasaray supporters for their backing and insisted the team would approach their remaining fixtures with determination.
“First of all, I would like to thank our fans for their constant support. From now on, we want to go match by match and win every match,” he added.
Yunus Akgun and Aleksei Batrakov also scored against Lille, while Nabil Bentaleb contributed an own goal as Okan Buruk’s side secured their first Champions League victory of the season.
Osimhen, who scored 18 goals in 38 appearances for Lille before joining Napoli in 2020, has now registered eight Champions League goals for Galatasaray and 14 in all European competitions for the Turkish champions.
Galatasaray will host Bundesliga side VfB Stuttgart at RAMS Park on November 3 in their next Champions League fixture.
