Osimhen Breaks European Record As Galatasaray Knock Out Juventus

‎Victor Osimhen etched his name into Champions League history on Wednesday, scoring a decisive goal as Galatasaray knocked Juventus out in a dramatic showdown.

‎The Nigerian international’s strike not only sealed the victory but also set a new milestone, making him the foreign player with the most goals in European competitions for the Turkish giants, reaching an impressive tally of 13.

‎Czech Republic legend Milan Baros had held the record for more than a decade with 12 goals during his spell at the Rams Stadium.

‎Juventus approached the second leg in Turkey with a clear target, three goals to overturn the deficit, and they began with purpose. Their lively start paid off in the 37th minute when captain Manuel Locatelli converted from the penalty spot after Khephren Thuram was fouled by Lucas Torreira.

‎However, the Italian giants suffered a major blow just four minutes into the second half as Lloyd Kelly was shown a red card for a reckless challenge, reducing them to ten men.

‎Despite the setback, the Serie A side fought back bravely, with Federico Gatti and Weston McKennie scoring to level the tie and force extra time.

‎Osimhen produced the decisive moment that sent Okan Buruk’s side into the next round. He created space in the box and fired a low shot through Mattia Perin’s legs, before Baris Alper Yılmaz added a second.

‎The former Napoli striker now has seven goals in this season’s campaign. His dominant performance, featuring five shots and 15 passes at 66.7% accuracy, earned him the man-of-the-match award.

‎”This match was disappointing from the start. Congratulations to Juventus, they really pushed us hard. We knew this was a tough pitch,” the Nigerian told the media.

‎”Even with 10 men, they pushed hard and scored two goals. I’m happy with my goal and what I did. We know we have a lot to work on.

‎”Juventus deserved to win, but we deserved to advance to the next round. Even in the most difficult moments, the fans were with us.

‎”Galatasaray fans deserve this happiness to the fullest. Even when we were behind, they never stopped supporting us.

‎”We can say that we advanced to the next round thanks to them. We will continue to work. We need their support very much. We have a long way to go, but we are sure that they will be with us every step of the way.”

‎Galatasaray will meet either Tottenham Hotspur or Liverpool in the Round of 16, with UEFA set to conduct the draw on Friday.