Victor Osimhen's Galatasaray dropping two points against Kasimpasa in their Matchweek 25 Turkish Super Lig game whittled down their hitherto lead of six points at the top of the table to just four.
Galatasaray have now drawn all of their last four games across all competitions, and, surely, they would not want that frustrating run to extend to five when they face their next opponents this weekend.
A second away game in a row is the last thing a Galatasaray side in dire need of a lift requires right now, and despite remaining firm favourites for a third successive championship at least in the present, Okan Buruk's charges would have to dig deep for victory.
Pursued by relentless Fenerbahce , the margin for error is considerably narrower at this stage, and nothing less than a win would boost the Cimbom's fortunes.
Correct score prediction: Alanyaspor vs Galatasaray
Alanyaspor and Galatasaray have faced off 21 times, with Galatasaray dominating the fixture with 13 wins, while Alanyaspor has claimed victory five times, and three encounters ended in draws. Galatasaray has netted 47 goals in these meetings, compared to Alanyaspor’s 24.
Alanyaspor has collected six points from their last five matches but has struggled in attack, failing to score in two of those games.
Meanwhile, Galatasaray remains formidable, extending their unbeaten streak to 25 games. They have won three of their last five, scoring seven goals and keeping three clean sheets, further reinforcing their defensive solidity this season.
Prediction: Alanyaspor 0:2 Galatasaray
Osimhen firing despite Galatasaray struggles
Nigeria forward Osimhen bagged a fine brace away to Kasimpasa to go within two strikes of league-leading scorer Krzysztof Piatek (18 goals), though still tied with fellow Africans Simon Banza and Youssef En-Nesyri on 16.
According to SofaScore, Osimhen is outperforming his Expected Goals (xG) statistic (15.13), a fact that is even more impressive given this is his debut season in the tough terrain of Turkish football.
He is by no means the only player driving their title charge, but while the likes of Mario Lemina, Dries Mertens and Davinson Sanchez do their stuff elsewhere on the pitch, Osimhen distinguishes himself upfront as Galatasaray's most potent asset — one that Buruk would hope continues to deliver at optimum levels as the pressure ramps up.
