Victor Osimhen: Istanbul Başakşehir vs Galatasaray – Preview, team news, predictions & H2H

Galatasaray travel to the Basaksehir Fatih Terim Stadium on Friday with Victor Osimhen in top form as the Turkish Super Lig delivers an Istanbul derby, Afrik-Foot reports.

The Super Eagles striker has scored five goals and provided two assists in three league appearances since the 2026/27 campaign began.

Nuri Sahin’s Basaksehir arrive with points on the board, having beaten Kocaelispor convincingly in their opening fixture, but the weeks since have been difficult enough to make Friday’s test a tough one for them.

Match Preview: Istanbul Başakşehir vs Galatasaray

Galatasaray opened their title defence with a 2-2 draw against newly promoted Corum FK on August 14, a result that drew scrutiny.

Osimhen had put the champions ahead in the 53rd minute before Corum overturned the lead through Kyziridis and Ramirez in quick succession, and with Galatasaray staring at an embarrassing home defeat, the Nigerian produced a goal in the 90th-minute to rescue a point.

From that opening stumble, Okan Buruk’s side found their rhythm. In round two, Galatasaray dismantled Erzurumspor FK 4-0, with Osimhen scoring a brace.

The 3-2 comeback win over Goztepe on August 29 then followed. Novatus Miroshi gave Goztepe a 16th-minute lead before Davinson Sanchez levelled in the 33rd minute; Sara restored the advantage shortly after the interval, with Osimhen providing the assist.

Super Eagles striker then converted from the penalty spot in the 63rd minute to put the points beyond reach before Juan pulled one back for Goztepe.

Basaksehir’s opening games have been on a different tangent compared to Galatasaray’s.

The 2-0 win over Kocaelispor on Matchday one was an encouraging start, but that foundation was quickly tested in round two, when a Mohamed Salah-inspired Trabzonspor beat Basaksehir away from home.

The 1-1 home draw against Kasimpasa on August 31 produced further frustration. Shomurodov gave Basaksehir the lead in the 18th minute, only for substitute Diabate to equalise in the 81st minute and deny the hosts a win they had defended with discipline for over an hour.

Head-to-Head: Başakşehir vs Galatasaray

The history between these clubs offers Basaksehir no encouragement whatsoever. Galatasaray have won all five of their last five Super Lig meetings with Basaksehir, taking maximum points from each encounter.

The most recent meeting, on March 14, 2026, ended 3-0 to Galatasaray at Rams Park in round 26 of the 2025/26 season, with Basaksehir unable to muster a meaningful challenge at any point.

Across all competitive head-to-head meetings between the clubs over the years, Galatasaray have been the dominant side by a considerable margin, winning 18 of the 34 meetings, while Basaksehir have been able to secure nine wins, with seven draws between them.

Team News: Başakşehir vs Galatasaray

Galatasaray

Rafael Leao, signed from AC Milan for €38 million, will not make his debut at the Başakşehir Fatih Terim Stadium after a thigh injury disrupted his preparation.

The 27-year-old Portuguese winger had been welcomed by thousands of supporters on his arrival in Istanbul, with excitement surrounding the prospect of him combining in attack with Osimhen, the pair having built a close friendship.

Leao has trained separately from the main group and will not be fit on Friday, meaning that reunion on the pitch will have to wait.

Jankat Yilmaz has started all three of Galatasaray’s league games this season, and he’s expected to be ahead of Gunay Guvenc.

Leroy Sane is expected to return to the starting XI after featuring largely as a substitute in the games against Erzurumspor and Goztepe.

Ilkay Gundogan has played just six minutes this season, but can provide experience from the bench and could influence the game if Buruk requires a shift in tempo or shape.

Basaksehir

The primary fitness concern for Sahin is Edin Visca, who suffered a foot fracture last year.

The 36-year-old veteran winger has not played this season, and his availability for Friday remains in doubt.

Shomurodov is the focal point of Basaksehir’s attack and has done more than enough to justify that status, scoring three league goals.

Andreas Skov Olsen, the Danish winger who joined from Wolfsburg in the summer, adds directness and energy on the left flank and will be central to any hope Basaksehir have of testing Galatasaray on the counter-attack.

Star Player watch: Victor Osimhen vs Eldor Shomurodov

The Managers: Okan Buruk vs Nuri Sahin

Okan Buruk has made Galatasaray the most dominant team in Turkish football over the past four years.

The 52-year-old has overseen four consecutive Super Lig titles and guided the club through an ambitious Champions League campaign in 2025/26 that included a famous 1-0 home victory over Liverpool in the round of 16 at Rams Park, before a 0-4 defeat in the return leg at Anfield ended the European run.

Buruk’s system demands relentless high pressing and rapid transitions, with Osimhen positioned as the apex of an attack built to punish every inch of space a retreating defensive line concedes.

His ability to manage a squad that includes Osimhen, alongside a host of other established internationals, reflects a head coach in full command of a demanding environment.

Nuri Sahin, at 37, is among the youngest head coaches operating at this level in Turkish football.

A technically astute ex-footballer who represented Borussia Dortmund, Real Madrid and Liverpool across his playing career, Sahin has implemented a structured 4-2-3-1 at Basaksehir with clear attacking principles: pressing with purpose, recycling quickly through the lines and leaning on Shomurodov to hold the system together.

The inconsistency of the opening three games is a concern, but Friday is one of the early examinations of where this Basaksehir side are capable of reaching under his management.

Tactical Preview: Başakşehir vs Galatasaray

Both managers have settled on the same 4-2-3-1 framework, meaning the decisive battles will play out in the central zones where the two midfield pivots compete for control of the game.

Galatasaray’s double pivot of Lucas Torreira and Gabriel Sara, or Mario Lemina in the starting XI, regardless of who Okan Buruk fields, is the more accomplished unit by some distance.

Sara carries an attacking contribution alongside his defensive responsibilities, pushing into the half-spaces between Basaksehir’s lines to create chances, while Torreira provides the positional discipline and press-resistance behind him that allows Sara that freedom.

Basaksehir’s pairing of Olivier Kemen and Hamza Gunes is built on compactness and collective organisation rather than individual quality, with the primary aim of closing the gaps through which Osimhen and Yunus Akgun prefer to combine.

On the flank, Baris Alper Yilmaz and Leroy Sane provide Galatasaray with unpredictable, direct options against Basaksehir’s full-backs on either flank, and if Sane finds his sharpest level, the home side will face pressure across the full width of the pitch simultaneously.

Basaksehir’s most coherent attacking outlet runs through Shomurodov centrally and Skov Olsen on the left, with the Dane’s directness and willingness to carry the ball at defenders providing the primary transition threat for Sahin’s side.

Betting Tips: Başakşehir vs Galatasaray

Score Prediction: Başakşehir vs Galatasaray