Why Osimhen is already Galatasaray’s most dangerous player in 2026-27

Victor Osimhen has started the 2026-27 season in the same way he finished the last one; scoring goals, creating goals and deciding matches for Galatasaray, Afrik-Foot reports.

The Super Eagles striker has scored four times in Galatasaray’s first two Süper Lig matches. He scored twice in the opening game against Çorum FK to rescue a point, then scored another two against Erzurumspor F.K in a 4-0 victory on Friday night. His latest performance also included an assist and a Sofascore rating of 9.0, the best of any player on the pitch.

That start matters because Galatasaray are not short of attacking talent. Okan Buruk’s team has players such as Leroy Sané, Yunus Akgün, Barış Alper Yılmaz and Gabriel Sara. Yet Osimhen is already the player opponents have the most reason to fear.

Osimhen is turning every league match into a goal threat

Against Erzurumspor, Osimhen was involved from the start. After Roland Sallai netted the opener in the 12th minute, Osimhen set up Yunus Akgün for Galatasaray’s second goal in the 20th minute. He then scored himself in the 44th minute before completing his brace in the 79th minute.

That gave him two goals and one assist in the encounter. More importantly, the performance extended his direct goal contribution run in the Süper Lig to 15 straight matches. Across that sequence, Osimhen has produced 15 goals and six assists. That means he has contributed directly to 21 goals during the run.

The pattern is also important. The Nigeria international is not only scoring when Galatasaray dominate a game. He can change a match when his team needs him most. His two goals against Çorum FK came after Galatasaray fell behind, while his Erzurumspor display combined scoring with chance creation.

That gives Buruk a player who can hurt opponents in several ways. Osimhen’s movement can pull defenders away from other Galatasaray attackers. His speed can punish a high defensive line. His strength makes him difficult to stop when he attacks crosses or balls into the penalty area. His finishing gives Galatasaray a reliable target when a match becomes tight.

His record in Europe adds another layer to that threat. During the 2025-26 Champions League campaign, Osimhen scored seven goals in 10 appearances for Galatasaray. UEFA’s statistics also placed him second in the competition for shots on target, with 25, behind only Kylian Mbappé’s 30.

He also scored a memorable hat-trick in Galatasaray’s 3-0 win away to Ajax in November 2025. That 19-minute treble made him only the second Galatasaray player to score a Champions League hat-trick, after Burak Yılmaz.

Those numbers explain why Buruk can build attacks around him. The Nigerian does not need many chances to change a match.

His records have raised the standard at Galatasaray

Osimhen’s importance is easier to understand when his Galatasaray history is considered.

He joined the club on loan in September 2024 and quickly became the main attacking force. In his first season, he scored 37 goals and supplied eight assists in 41 appearances. He scored 26 league goals and won the Süper Lig scoring title. He also scored five goals and provided one assist in four Turkish Cup matches.

His 37-goal season broke a record that had belonged to Mario Jardel. Jardel scored 34 goals in all competitions during Galatasaray’s 2000-01 campaign. Osimhen passed that mark in May 2025 and became the club’s highest-scoring foreign player in a single season.

Galatasaray then made his move permanent in July 2025. The decision has already proved important. The club kept Osimhen as the centre of its attack while adding more quality around him.

His Champions League record has since grown further. Osimhen has managed 16 Champions League goals so far in his career, making him the highest-scoring Nigerian in the competition.

That history gives Buruk a rare advantage. The coach knows that the former Lille star can produce against domestic opponents and European heavyweights.

The early weeks of 2026-27 have added another reason for concern among Galatasaray’s rivals. Four goals in two league matches, three goal contributions against Erzurumspor and a 15-match league contribution streak suggest that Osimhen has carried his form from last term into the new campaign.

Galatasaray have several dangerous attackers. Osimhen is the one who turns that attacking talent into a constant scoring threat.

At 27, with a new season ahead and a growing collection of club records behind him, the Nigerian striker has already made his message clear

That is if Galatasaray are going to defend their domestic success and compete deep in Europe, opponents will first have to find a way to stop Victor Osimhen.