Victor Osimhen cements big occasion reputation with latest UCL masterclass

Super Eagles forward Victor Osimhen was on target again as Galatasaray eased past Bodø/Glimt with a 3-1 win in the Champions League on Wednesday night.

The Nigeria striker, who was earlier in the day named among the nominees for the 2025 CAF Player of the Year award, continued his sparkling form with a first-half brace that underlined his growing influence in Okan Buruk’s side.

The 26-year-old opened the scoring inside three minutes with a curling effort reminiscent of Thierry Henry’s trademark finishes, a strike that instantly electrified the Rams Park crowd. He added a second just after the half-hour mark, seizing on a poor back pass, skipping past the goalkeeper, and rolling the ball into an empty net.

It was another decisive showing from the 2023 African Footballer of the Year, who had also grabbed the winner against Liverpool last gameweek.

New Galatasaray record for Osimhen

Osimhen’s brace against the Norwegian champions takes his tally to nine goals in his last seven European outings for Galatasaray, a run that stretches back to last season’s Europa League campaign.

In that spell, the Lagos-born attacker scored twice against Tottenham and also found the net in matches against AZ Alkmaar, Dynamo Kyiv, Ajax and Liverpool before his double on Wednesday night.

That scoring streak now stands as a new record, making him the first Galatasaray player ever to find the net in seven consecutive European fixtures.On the night, Osimhen registered seven shots on target, missed five big chances and was flagged offside twice before making way for Mauro Icardi in the 73rd minute.

Across all competitions this term, the Super Eagles star has now notched five goals in eight appearances for the Istanbul giants.