Soccer
Victor Osimhen during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD7 match between Galatasaray SK and Atletico de Madrid at Rams Park Stadium on January 21, 2026 in Istanbul, Turkey. Copyright: ImagoxBSRxAgencyx
Super Eagles and Galatasaray striker Victor Osimhen is hungry to get a win against Manchester City following his side’s draw to Atletico Madrid last night, Soccernet.ng reports.
The 27-year-old has just returned with a bronze medal at the AFCON 2025 tournament, scoring four goals and was included in the competition’s best eleven.
Osimhen couldn’t finish the semi-final clash against Morocco in the semi-final due to an injury. The same ankle problem caused him to miss the third-place clash against Egypt.
However, he was sent into Galatasaray’s starting lineup against Diego Simeone’s men tonight, even playing all 90 minutes.
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Giuliano Simeone broke the deadlock inside four minutes at RAMS Park, but an own goal by Marcos Llorente, courtesy of a Rolland Sallai cut-back, levelled the score for Okan Buruk’s men on the 20th minute mark.
There were no further goals in the game, although Atletico Madrid had the upper hand against the home side.
After the game, Osimhen revealed he missed the Galatasaray fans after spending a month away on national team duty with Morocco.
“Of course, I miss everyone so much, even the fans. We knew we’d play against a strong opponent before the game,” the former Napoli man said in quotes revealed by Galatasaray’s official website.
“I congratulate my teammates, in a 90-minute battle against a tough team like this, we did a good job against a great opponent.
“The game was like 50-50. In some places, we had a chance to finish the game, but I’m happy with our performance.
A draw now means Galatasaray have to defeat Manchester City in their final group phase game to qualify for the play-offs.
Should they lose, their European campaign will most likely come to an end, but Osimhen doesn’t want that.
“Manchester City is one of the best teams in the world. We’re going to play a game. We’ll focus on the league, then we’ll focus on that game.
“It won’t be easy, but I trust my team. I’m looking at it positively, and we can get something out of there. Let’s play a good game as we played against Atletico, that’s the most important,” the 2023 African Player of the Year concluded.
Galatasaray will travel to the Etihad to face Manchester City in seven days. Pep Guardiola’s side will qualify for the play-offs regardless of whatever happens in the game, but a win could help secure automatic qualification to the Champions League final sixteen.
Adefolahan Guerreiro
Adefolahan is a multilingual sports journalist and football writer whose work spans outlets like Soccernet Nigeria, Pure Football UK, and Royalsportz.
With a sharp eye for detail and a background in college sports, he tells the African football story with depth, flair, and global perspective.
Fluent in English, Spanish, and German, he brings a cross-cultural voice to his coverage, blending insight with accessibility for readers around the world.
His portfolio includes interviews with top Nigerian stars like Finidi George, Junior Lokosa, Sikiru Alimi, Sodiq Ismaila, and Abraham Onahi Ogbu.
A devoted Borussia Dortmund fan, Adefolahan thrives on the emotion and rhythm of the beautiful game. Away from work, he’s a sci-fi enthusiast and series lover who enjoys exploring how sport, storytelling, and culture collide.
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