Osimhen scores as Galatasaray thrash Fenerbahçe in Istanbul derby
Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen was on target as Galatasaray claimed a convincing 3-0 win over fierce rivals Fenerbahçe in the Istanbul derby.
Osimhen returned to action after several weeks out with an arm injury and played a key role in the important victory at Rams Park. The Nigerian forward looked sharp from the start, constantly troubling the Fenerbahçe defence with his movement and energy.
The visitors almost took the lead in the 14th minute after being awarded a penalty when Davinson Sánchez was judged to have fouled Sidiki Cherif in the box. However, Anderson Talisca missed the spot-kick, giving Galatasaray a big escape.
Osimhen kept pushing and was unlucky not to win a penalty in the 38th minute after going down under a challenge, but the referee waved play on after a VAR check.
The breakthrough came two minutes later when Mario Lemina flicked on a cross into the box. Osimhen reacted quickly, controlling the ball in an unusual way before guiding it into the net to give Galatasaray the lead.
Galatasaray stayed on top after the break and thought they had doubled their advantage through Lucas Torreira, but the goal was ruled out for offside.
The second goal eventually came in the 67th minute after Yunus Akgün was fouled in the box. Fenerbahçe were reduced to 10 men when goalkeeper Ederson was sent off. Barış Alper Yılmaz stepped up to take the penalty and calmly made it 2-0.
Torreira sealed the win in the 83rd minute after taking advantage of a defensive error to score the third goal. Osimhen was later booked after a brief clash with an opponent, but it did little to affect the outcome.
The victory puts Galatasaray in a strong position to win the Süper Lig title. They now hold a seven-point lead at the top of the table with only three matches left to play.
A single win from their remaining games will be enough to confirm them as champions, which would see Osimhen win back-to-back league titles with the club and add another major trophy to his career.
