Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen has admitted he was not satisfied with his team’s performance, even after Galatasaray S.K. secured qualification for the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 with a hard-fought victory over Juventus F.C..
Galatasaray progressed after an intense second-leg clash in Turin that went into extra time. The Turkish side had built a 5–2 advantage in the first leg at home and eventually sealed a 7–5 aggregate win despite losing ground early in the return fixture.
Osimhen scored a crucial goal to pull it back to 3–1 on the night, putting Galatasaray 6–5 ahead on aggregate before Barış Alper Yılmaz struck late to confirm qualification.
Speaking after the match on CBS Sports Golazo, the Nigerian forward gave a frank assessment of the team’s display.
“If I’m being honest, I’m disappointed with the performance,” he said. “Kudos to Juventus for how they played. We qualified, but we have a lot to improve if we’re going to face the big teams in the next round. This wasn’t good enough. Juventus deserved the win tonight, but I’m happy we made it through.”
Osimhen also revealed he tried to rally his teammates during difficult moments in the game.
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“Some of my teammates were timid. I tried to motivate them — I can’t do it alone. They were intimidated by the crowd and Juventus’ style of play,” he said. “But I know this team. When you sit back and allow them to play, they can cause even more damage. They actually played better after the red card than when they had 11 players.”
His honest remarks quickly sparked debate among fans, with some applauding his leadership and others questioning whether such public criticism could affect team morale.
Looking ahead to the Round of 16, where Galatasaray could face either Liverpool F.C. or Tottenham Hotspur F.C., Osimhen acknowledged the challenge ahead.
“Meeting Liverpool now would feel like revenge,” he said. “Honestly, I would prefer to avoid them. But whoever we face, we’ll fight. It won’t be easy.”
