Victor Osimhen made a memorable debut for Galatasaray, providing an assist in their emphatic 5-0 thrashing of Rizespor in the Turkish Super Lig on Saturday, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
The Nigerian striker, who joined the Turkish giants on loan from Napoli, was a key figure in the dominant display at the Türk Telekom Stadium, although he narrowly missed out on scoring a debut goal.
Osimhen, initially credited with Galatasaray’s second goal, saw the decision later revised, awarding an assist to him for Abdulkerim Bardakci’s strike. His performance nonetheless delighted the home fans, as he played the full 90 minutes and was involved in several promising moments.
In the 15th minute, the 25-year-old came close to marking his debut with a goal, but his header off a cross from Dries Mertens sailed just wide of the post. Osimhen was again in the thick of the action in the 42nd minute, failing to connect cleanly with a chance inside the box. His best opportunity arrived in the 77th minute when he was denied by the Rizespor goalkeeper, who thwarted his attempt to get on the scoresheet.
Despite not finding the net, Osimhen’s impact on the game was undeniable. Galatasaray, buoyed by the return of Colombian defender Davinson Sanchez, who scored the opener after a four-match absence, took early control of the contest and never looked back. Gabriel Sara, Dries Mertens, and Baris Alper Yilmaz added to the tally in a comprehensive victory that left their opponents with no response.
Nigerian internationals Ibrahim Olawoyin and David Akintola featured for the visitors but were unable to influence the outcome, as Galatasaray cruised to their third win of the season.
With his debut assist in the bag, Osimhen has given Galatasaray fans plenty to look forward to as they aim to build on their unbeaten start to the
season.