Victor Osimhen earns his big wages, scoring on a big European night to help Galatasaray sink Liverpool.
Victor Osimhen showed why his absence has been sorely felt, scoring the only goal of the game to help Galatasaray upset Liverpool.
The Super Eagles striker was absent for the 5-1 defeat to Frankfurt as he was out injured. He returned to the starting lineup for the first time in over a month to score the winner against Liverpool from the penalty spot.
A clumsy foul from Dominik Szoboszlai in the 16th minute gifted the Turkish champions a penalty. Osimehn stepped up and dispatched with aplomb. Both teams had chances after that point, but neither affected the scoreline.
Key match details
From kickoff, Liverpool tried to impose themselves with high possession, but Galatasaray defended compactly with a plan of hitting Liverpool on the break.
The strategy walked to perfection, leading to the game’s turning point in the16th minute, when Szoboszlai hit Barış Alper Yılmaz in the box with a clumsy challenge borne out of a Cim-Bom transition move.
Osimhen stepped up and sent Alisson the wrong way with a right-footed shot down the middle, making it 1-0. Liverpool responded with possession dominance, but clear chances were few. Osimhen nearly doubled the advantage just before and just after half-time with dangerous runs, but both attempts were kept out by Alisson.
Into the second half, Liverpool introduced Mohamed Salah and Alexander Isak (among other changes) in the 62nd minute, hoping to sharpen their attacking edge.
They had a potential lifeline in the 88th minute when Konaté appeared to be fouled by Singo in the box, earning a penalty, only for VAR to rule it out after review.
Galatasaray held first, beating Arne Slot’s side to ensure the Reds’ run of losses extended to two matches after losing to Crystal Palace over the weekend.