Super Eagles striker scores early as Galatasaray strengthen their position at the top of the Turkish Süper Lig, while fellow Nigerian Chidozie Awaziem features for Konyaspor.
Victor Osimhen continued his impressive goalscoring form in Turkey after finding the net in Galatasaray’s emphatic 4-0 away victory over Konyaspor in the Turkish Süper Lig on Friday.
The Nigerian international gave the visitors an early advantage before goals from Yunus Akgün, Aleksey Batrakov and Rafael Leão completed a convincing performance at the Konya Metropolitan Municipality Stadium.
The result earned Galatasaray another important three points, taking their tally to 25 points from 10 league matches and keeping them at the summit of the Turkish top flight.
Osimhen needed just 12 minutes to make his mark on the encounter. The striker rose above the Konyaspor defence to connect with Gabriel Sara’s free kick, directing a powerful header into the net to put the visitors ahead.
Galatasaray continued to control proceedings and doubled their advantage in the 28th minute. Yunus Akgün found space outside the penalty area before unleashing an effort that beat the Konyaspor goalkeeper.
Osimhen had another opportunity to increase his goal tally before the interval, but Konyaspor goalkeeper Deniz Ertaş prevented the Nigerian from scoring again.
The Istanbul giants maintained their attacking momentum after the restart, adding two more goals to complete the rout.
Aleksey Batrakov made it 3-0 in the 49th minute after receiving a pass from Sara and finishing inside the penalty area. It was another important contribution from the midfielder as Galatasaray continued to dominate the contest.
Rafael Leão then put the result beyond doubt six minutes later. Following a VAR review of an incident involving the Portuguese forward and Konyaspor defender Rayyan Baniya, referee Cihan Aydın awarded Galatasaray a penalty.
Leão stepped forward and converted from the spot in the 55th minute, registering his first goal for the Turkish club and completing the scoring.
Osimhen’s evening ended in the 61st minute when Galatasaray manager Okan Buruk made a series of substitutions, with Deniz Gül coming on to replace the Nigerian striker.
The victory was particularly significant for Galatasaray, who had experienced difficulties in previous visits to Konyaspor. Their commanding display this time around underlined their determination to maintain their challenge for another Turkish league title.
Awaziem features for Konyaspor in heavy defeat
Meanwhile, fellow Nigerian international Chidozie Awaziem was involved for the entire match as Konyaspor suffered a disappointing home defeat against the league leaders.
The Super Eagles defender started in central defence but was unable to prevent Galatasaray from finding the net four times.
Awaziem had entered the fixture following an impressive individual performance against Gençlerbirliği, where he scored twice in Konyaspor’s 2-0 victory.
However, Friday’s encounter proved a much tougher assignment against a Galatasaray side that showed considerable attacking quality throughout the match.
The appearance marked another outing for the Nigerian defender in the Turkish top flight as he continues his campaign with Konyaspor.
Galatasaray turn attention to Champions League
With their latest league victory secured, Galatasaray will now shift their attention to European football.
Okan Buruk’s side are scheduled to welcome German club VfB Stuttgart on Tuesday, November 3, in their UEFA Champions League campaign.
Osimhen will be hoping to carry his impressive goalscoring form into the European competition as Galatasaray look to maintain their strong performances across domestic and continental football.