Osimhen: 3 Galatasaray records the Super Eagles striker can break vs Barcelona

Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen could enter the record books with a sensational display for Galatasaray when the Istanbul giants welcome Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday night.

The Spanish giants will arrive as favourites after making a perfect start to their La Liga campaign. Still, Galatasaray will believe they can upset the odds, particularly with their Nigerian marksman available to lead the attack.

Osimhen has been in excellent form this season, firing six goals and three assists in only five appearances.

Barcelona’s formidable reputation will make the task difficult, but the Super Eagles striker has the quality to turn the contest into a memorable night for the Turkish champions.

Osimhen could also write his name into the history of this fixture by achieving three milestones that have eluded Galatasaray’s previous generations.

Osimhen could become the first Galatasaray player to score a brace against Barcelona

Osimhen could become the first Galatasaray player to score twice in a single match against Barcelona.

The Turkish giants have scored just seven goals across their 10 previous meetings with the Catalan club, with seven different players finding the net.

Among those scorers were Hakan Şükür and Erdem, who helped Galatasaray secure a memorable 2-1 victory in 1994.

However, no Galatasaray player has managed to score twice in one match against Barcelona, leaving Osimhen with an opportunity to claim a unique place in the fixture’s history.

The Nigerian has the attributes to trouble Barcelona’s defence, particularly if he receives quality service from Galatasaray’s creative players and finds space inside the penalty area.

He could help end Galatasaray’s 32-year wait for a victory over Barcelona

Galatasaray’s only victory over Barcelona came in 1994, when they recorded a 2-1 win. More than three decades later, the Turkish side will be desperate to repeat that achievement.

Osimhen could become the central figure in that pursuit, with his goalscoring threat offering Galatasaray a realistic route to making the RAMS Park a nightmare for the Spanish side.

There is a wider record against Spanish opposition to target for Osimhen and Galatasaray.

Galatasaray have won only one of their last 22 matches against teams from Spain, drawing six and losing 15. They have also gone nine consecutive matches without a victory against Spanish opponents since beating Real Madrid 3-2 at home in the Champions League quarter-finals in April 2013.

With Osimhen leading the line, Galatasaray will hope their wait for another famous European victory can finally end.

Become the first player to score a hat-trick in the fixture

Osimhen could also target a milestone that neither Galatasaray nor Barcelona players have achieved in this fixture. And that is to score three goals.

The four joint-top scorers of this Galatasaray vs Barcelona fixture have two goals each. All are former Barcelona stars, including Luis Enrique, Javier Saviola, Guillermo Amor and Ronald Koeman.

In other words, the fixture has yet to produce a player who scores three goals in a single match.

That represents a remarkable opportunity for Osimhen o leave an enduring mark on the Champions League contest.

A brace would already make history for the Super Eagles striker. A hat-trick, meanwhile, would deliver him the most memorable individual performances of his European career.