Victor Osimhen delivered one of the standout moments of the Turkish Super Lig season as his stoppage-time bicycle kick sealed a dramatic 3–2 victory for Galatasaray over Samsunspor at a roaring RAMS Park on Friday evening, Soccernet.ng reports.
The Nigerian striker, who returned recently from a hamstring injury, scored twice on the night, including the breathtaking 93rd-minute winner that left the away bench stunned and the home crowd erupting.
Osimhen’s brace backed up Leroy Sané’s early opener, but it was his acrobatic finish deep into added time that settled a fiercely contested match.
Samsunspor, however, were left feeling they deserved more. After going 2–0 down in the first half, the visitors fought their way back through goals from Anthony Musaba and Emre Kılınç, dragging the scoreline level and briefly silencing the home crowd. But they were undone at the death by a moment of world-class quality from Galatasaray’s talisman.
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Samsunspor President lauds incredible Victor Osimhen
In the aftermath, Samsunspor Club President Yüksel Yıldırım was full of admiration for the Nigerian forward, and equally proud of his team’s battling performance.
Yıldırım added that Osimhen’s brilliance justified the €75 million – and definitely €5 million more – that Galatasaray paid Napoli in the summer for his permanent transfer.
“My ears were blocked while watching the match in the second half,” Yıldırım said as per AA.
“The Galatasaray fans were trying to stop Samsunspor with incredible whistling. Samsunspor asserted their dominance in the second half. We could have scored. We missed chances. ‘If we’re going to lose, let’s lose like this.’
“Then, in the 88th minute, we got the goal we were waiting for. We brought the score from 2-0 to 2-2. We thought the match would end like this. Then Victor Osimhen showed why he’s an €80 million player. No one else in Türkiye could have scored that goal.”
Osimhen’s double takes his tally to five goals in ten league appearances this season, a timely return to form ahead of Galatasaray’s UEFA Champions League meeting with Monaco. His first-half strike was also his first since suffering injury during the November international break.
Samsunspor have become Osimhen’s favourite opponents. He has now scored five goals in just three appearances against them, including four at RAMS Park.
Friday’s win strengthened Galatasaray’s position at the top of the table, moving the Yellow-Reds to 36 points from 15 games, maintaining their four-point cushion over rivals Fenerbahçe.
Manager Okan Buruk will hope Osimhen’s renewed sharpness proves decisive as the champions head into a crucial couple of domestic and European fixtures before he leaves for the Africa Cup of Nations.