Victor Osimhen: 3 problems striker’s absence has caused Galatasaray

Victor Osimhen’s absence has exposed several problems at Galatasaray, with the Turkish champions suffering two defeats in their last three matches without their star striker, Afrik-Foot reports.

The Nigerian has not played since September 4, when he scored in Galatasaray’s 3-2 victory over Istanbul Başakşehir before being forced off after 33 minutes with a right-adductor injury.

The 27-year-old has subsequently missed three consecutive matches, including the 3-1 Champions League defeat to Sporting CP, a narrow 1-0 league win over Kocaelispor and Saturday’s extraordinary 4-0 humiliation against Trabzonspor.

Before his injury, Osimhen had scored in each of Galatasaray’s opening four league matches, producing six goals and two assists in four appearances.

Turkish pundit Emre Bol believes those performances were doing more than simply helping Galatasaray win matches: they were hiding deeper problems within the squad.

3 problems Victor Osimhen’s absence exposed

1. Osimhen was masking Galatasaray’s squad weaknesses

The biggest problem that Osimhen’s absence has revealed is that Galatasaray may not be as complete as their early-season results suggested.

The reigning Turkish champions collected 13 points from their first five league games, dropping points only in a draw against Corum FK, while Osimhen scored in each of their first four victories.

Bol believes the Nigerian’s individual brilliance made the team look considerably stronger than it actually was.

“Osimhen is coming, and you know what he’ll do again? He’ll sweep all of Galatasaray’s problems under the rug,” he said in quotes revealed by Sports Digital.

The Turkish pundit went even further, arguing that Osimhen’s performances had prevented supporters from seeing the weaknesses in the squad.

“With the goals he scored, the performances he delivered, the guy single-handedly carried how many matches — Osimhen took them all, crunching through every game.”

His absence has now created a problem bigger than replacing six goals.

Galatasaray are now being forced to confront the weaknesses that Osimhen’s individual quality had previously concealed.

2. Galatasaray have lost their focal point in attack

Osimhen’s combination of pace, physicality, movement and penalty-box instincts gives Okan Buruk a forward capable of stretching defences and turning half-chances into goals.

Without him, Galatasaray started Deniz Gül against Trabzonspor, with Rafael Leao and Leroy Sané operating around him. The difference was stark.

Trabzonspor scored after only four minutes through Mohamed Salah and eventually raced into a 3-0 half-time lead before Salah completed his hat-trick in the second half.

Galatasaray managed to create moments, but they lacked the cutting edge and constant threat that Osimhen normally provides.

That was evident in the way Trabzonspor defended their lead. Without a striker capable of relentlessly attacking space behind the defence or dominating defenders inside the box, Galatasaray struggled to turn possession into clear chances.

It is one thing to replace Osimhen on the team sheet. It is another to replace everything his presence forces the opposition to deal with.

3. His absence exposed a lack of intensity

The third problem may be the most concerning because it goes beyond tactics.

CBS Sports Golazo pundit Mike Lahoud described Galatasaray’s performance against Trabzonspor as “passionless” and argued that Osimhen’s absence had contributed to the team looking ordinary.

“No Victor Osimhen. Without Victor Osimhen, this team looks very ordinary.”

"Without Victor Osimhen this team looks very ordinary." @MikeLahoud breaks down what went wrong for Galatasaray against Trabzonspor 🇹🇷 pic.twitter.com/B9VS1geCSF

— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) September 19, 2026

“I was very high about what Galatasaray could become in the UEFA Champions League, but watching them play without passion is just sad.”

That criticism became even sharper when he singled out Rafael Leao, accusing the Portuguese forward of failing to show the intensity expected from a player at a club of Galatasaray’s stature, but the larger point is important.

Osimhen does not merely contribute goals. His style is built around aggression, constant movement and an obvious desire to compete for every ball. When that energy disappears from the attack, Galatasaray look considerably less threatening.

Galatasaray need more than Osimhen’s return

Emre Bol’s assessment should concern Galatasaray because the Nigerian’s eventual return cannot be expected to solve every problem on its own.

“In Osimhen’s absence, we’ve actually seen just how massive the gap in the team really is.”

That gap has now been exposed. Galatasaray need their star striker back because his goals, movement and intensity are central to their attacking identity, but they also need the rest of the squad to become less dependent on one player.

The 4-0 defeat to Trabzonspor was therefore more than a bad result. It was a reminder of just how much Galatasaray had been getting from Osimhen, and how much work remains to be done when he is unavailable.