Guardiola: ‘Osimhen Is a Top Player’ Before Galatasaray Showdown

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has acknowledged the challenge his side faces against Galatasaray in their final UEFA Champions League group stage fixture.

Speaking ahead of the match, Guardiola singled out Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen and several of Galatasaray’s key players as threats City must prepare for.

‘Osimhen is a top player. Both wingers are very fast. Torreira, Lemina, Ilkay… all of them are experienced players. It is one of the biggest clubs in Turkey,’ Guardiola said, stressing the quality of the opposition.

City, who host the Turkish champions at the Etihad, need a strong performance to secure their place in the knockout rounds. Guardiola admitted his team must be at their best: ‘We want to win against Galatasaray tomorrow. I watched all the football players in Turkey. They are all very good players. We need to do our best. We have shortcomings, we will look at them.’

The Spaniard also reflected warmly on his former players İlkay Gündoğan and Leroy Sane, both now at Galatasaray.

‘It’s great that they are back. Incredible people. Ilkay stayed here a little longer than Leroy, but both were great. He had a great bond with Kevin. He was a tremendous character, similar to Bernardo. Perfect,’ Guardiola said.

Asked about the atmosphere in Turkey compared to England, Guardiola recalled his own playing days: ‘When I was a footballer, I played an away game in Turkey. As a coach, I did not play away against Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Manchester City and Turkish teams. It will be a big night for Galatasaray as well. Galatasaray, Fenerbahçe, Beşiktaş are important teams in Europe. I’ve spoken to some players and the atmosphere is incredible.’

Guardiola concluded by reiterating the scale of the challenge: ‘The most difficult part is their quality. Osimhen is a top player. Both wingers are very fast. Torreira, Lemina, Ilkay… all of them are experienced players. It is one of the biggest clubs in Turkey.’