Victor Osimhen’s brace earned Galatasaray a 3-1 win over Bodø/Glimt in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday, with the Turkish side recording back-to-back European victories having won just one of their previous 18 main-draw matches.
An already vociferous home crowd at RamsPark was given reason to erupt just three minutes into proceedings, when Mario Lemina slid the ball through for Osimhen to beat Nikita Haikin with a clinical finish.
The visitors continued to struggle against the intensity of Osimhen and their surroundings, with the striker getting his head on two Leroy Sané crosses but being denied by Haikin. Bodø/Glimt eventually started to make forays forward of their own and had periods of possession that were met by whistles from the stands, although they still couldn’t test Uğurcan Çakır.
Osimhen offered a reminder of his threat as he pounced when Odin Bjørtuft failed to convincingly deal with Ismail Jakobs’ cross, even if Haikin was equally alert to stop his attempt.
The goalkeeper was left completely helpless in the 33rd minute, though, as Osimhen accepted the gift of a lax Fredrik André Bjørkan backpass by rounding Haikin and sliding the ball into the empty net.
Chances did arrive at the other end before the break as Jens Petter Hauge fired wide after Roland Sallai had been dispossessed by Sondre Brunstad Fet, who then hit the post from range.
Kjetil Knutsen’s side continued to show intent after the restart, with Bjørkan embarking on an ambitious run before offloading the ball to Sondre Auklend, whose shot was blocked.
They were still given a huge warning moments later, when Osimhen and Yunus Akgün both passed up an opportunity to shoot before Sané was denied.
The visitors failed to heed it, though, and Haitam Aleesami was dispossessed by Osimhen on the edge of the box, setting up Akgün to beat Haikin at the second attempt. Fredrik Sjøvold was the next Bodø/Glimt player to gift Osimhen the ball, but retreated to block the striker’s second shot after his first had been saved.
The visitors finally got a goal of their own in the 76th minute with Andreas Helmersen heading in Bjørkan’s cross. Even so, there was never any real doubt that Galatasaray would record the 21st win from their last 23 matches across all competitions, while continuing the emphatic response to their heavy defeat to Eintracht Frankfurt on the opening day of the UCL league phase.
They also ended Bodø/Glimt’s five-game unbeaten run in European league phase matches, leaving the Norwegian side on two points.
The 26-year-old Super Eagles striker previously shared the record for scoring in the most consecutive European games with former Galatasaray striker Burak Yilmaz, who scored in six successive European matches for the club in 2012.
With Wednesday’s brace, the former Napoli striker has now become the sole holder of the record, surpassing Yilmaz, who has since retired and is now Gaziantep’s manager.
Osimhen, who scored 37 goals and provided seven assists in 41 games for Galatasaray last season before penning a permanent four-year deal in August, had found the back of the net against Tottenham Hotspur, AZ Alkmaar, Dynamo Kiev and Ajax in the UEFA Europa League last season before keeping his streak alive against Liverpool in Galatasaray’s 1-0 victory in their last Champions League outing.
Galatasaray manager Okan Buruk’s side now sit in a better position in the Champions League standings after recording two victories and one defeat in their opening three games. – AFP.
