Victor Osimhen has quickly shifted his focus to a decisive UEFA Champions League showdown against Manchester City following Galatasaray’s hard-earned 1–1 draw with Atlético Madrid on Wednesday night.
Fresh from a demanding 2025 Africa Cup of Nations campaignwhere he won a bronze medal with Nigeria and earned a place in the Team of the Tournament the Super Eagles striker put injury concerns to rest by completing the full 90 minutes in Istanbul.
Osimhen had been nursing an ankle issue that forced him to miss the AFCON third-place playoff just days earlier, but he showed sharpness and resilience on his return.
Atlético Madrid struck early at the Rams Global Stadyumu, with Giuliano Simeone opening the scoring in the fourth minute.
Galatasaray responded positively and were rewarded in the 20th minute when Roland Sallai’s dangerous delivery was inadvertently turned into the net by Marcos Llorente for the equaliser.
While Diego Simeone’s side dominated possession for large spells, Osimhen remained Galatasaray’s main attacking outlet, consistently troubling the Atlético defence and going close to snatching a winner.
After the match, the 27-year-old described the contest as a “50–50 battle” and admitted he missed the club’s passionate atmosphere during his time away.
“Of course, I miss everyone so much, especially the fans,” Osimhen told Galatasaray’s official website. “We knew before the game that we were up against a very strong opponent.
“I congratulate my teammates we fought for 90 minutes against a tough team and did a good job. I’m happy with our performance.”
The draw, however, leaves the Turkish champions with little margin for error.
To guarantee progression to the Champions League play-offs, Galatasaray must now secure a result away to Manchester City in their final group-stage fixture on January 28 at the Etihad Stadium.
Osimhen, who scored six goals in four Champions League matches before departing for AFCON, remains confident despite the scale of the challenge.
“Manchester City is one of the best teams in the world,” he said.
“It won’t be easy, but I trust my team. I’m looking at it positively, and I believe we can get something out of the game. The most important thing is to play as well as we did against Atlético.”
With qualification on the line, Galatasaray will be counting on Osimhen’s form, experience, and belief as they prepare for a defining night in Europe against the reigning English champions.
