Super Eagles forward Victor Osimhen has expressed disappointment with Galatasaray’s performance despite their UEFA Champions League playoff victory over Juventus, which secured qualification for the Round of 16.
Galatasaray advanced after winning the second leg in extra time on Wednesday in Turin, completing a 7-5 aggregate triumph after leading 5-2 at home in the first leg.
Barış Alper Yılmaz sealed qualification with a late goal after Osimhen got one back at 3-0 to make it 3-1 on the evening, giving the Turkish team a 6-5 lead overall.
The 27-year-old Nigerian provided an honest evaluation of the team’s performance in a live interview on CBS Sports Golazo following the game.
“If I have to be honest with you, I am disappointed with the performance of the team.
“Kudos to Juventus for the kind of display they put up. We qualified, but we have a lot to improve on if we go into the next round to play the big dogs.
“This performance was not really good. Juventus deserved the win, but I’m happy for my team to qualify for the next round,” Osimhen said.
He added, “Some of my teammates were timid. I tried to motivate them—I cannot do it alone. They were scared by the crowd and the way Juventus was playing.
“But I know this team; when you sit back and let them play, they will even do more damage. They even played better with the red card than when they were 11 players.”
Osimhen acknowledged the challenge as he looked ahead to the Round of 16 draw, which could see Galatasaray play either Liverpool or Tottenham Hotspur.
The remarks immediately sparked a reaction on social media, with fans divided over his direct criticism.
While some praised his leadership and honesty, others questioned whether such comments could cause tension within the squad.
“Meeting Liverpool now is going to be like some sort of revenge.
“Anyone we meet now… I wouldn’t say much, but I would like to escape Liverpool.
“But if they come, yeah, we are going to dig it out, but it’s not going to be easy,” he said.
