Victor Osimhen scored for Galatasaray before being forced off with an injury as the Turkish champions secured a dramatic 3-2 away win against Istanbul Basaksehir on Friday.
The Nigeria international maintained his impressive goalscoring run by giving Galatasaray the lead in the 16th minute. His finish provided the visitors with an early advantage and another important contribution from the forward.
However, Osimhen’s involvement in the match lasted only half an hour. He sustained an injury in the 30th minute and was substituted, immediately raising concerns about his fitness and whether he will be available for Galatasaray’s upcoming fixtures.
The match remained open after Osimhen’s departure, with Istanbul Basaksehir eventually drawing level in the 66th minute. Eldor Shomurodov converted a penalty to make it 1-1 and put the hosts back into contention.
Galatasaray restored their advantage five minutes later through Luca Tore. The visitors looked to have regained control, but Basaksehir responded once more before the end of normal time.
Sahin scored in the 77th minute to bring the hosts level at 2-2, setting up a tense finish in Istanbul. The game appeared to be heading towards a draw until Sahin struck again in the 90th minute, completing the scoring at 3-2 and securing all three points for Galatasaray.
The result gave Galatasaray a hard-fought victory in a match in which they twice had to defend a lead. Their celebrations, however, were tempered by the condition of Osimhen, whose injury is now the main concern surrounding the club.
Further medical assessment is expected to establish the seriousness of the problem. That evaluation will also determine whether Osimhen can feature in Galatasaray’s next matches.
Osimhen’s goal continued his strong scoring form in the Turkish Super Lig and underlined his importance to the Turkish champions. His early substitution, though, means the forward’s fitness will now be closely monitored after an otherwise decisive evening for Galatasaray.
BSNSports.com.ng reported the result.