Super Eagles striker, Victor Osimhen silenced his critics with a commanding performance, scoring twice as Galatasaray edged past arch-rivals Fenerbahçe with a 2-1 victory at the Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium on Wednesday night.
Coming off a disappointing defeat to Beşiktaş last weekend, their first domestic loss of the season Galatasaray returned to action against their fierce Istanbul rivals in the Turkish Cup quarterfinals.
Osimhen, who has faced criticism for underwhelming displays against Turkey’s top clubs, finally delivered when it mattered most.
The Nigerian wasted no time proving his doubters wrong, breaking the deadlock in the 10th minute with a powerful strike after a well-placed layoff from Barış Alper Yılmaz.
He doubled Galatasaray’s lead in the 27th minute, confidently converting from the penalty spot after a Fenerbahçe defender handled the ball inside the box.
Despite Galatasaray’s dominance in the first half, Fenerbahçe pulled one back just before the break, with Sebastian Szymański capitalizing on a defensive lapse to halve the deficit.
The second half was a tense affair, with both sides creating chances but failing to find the net.
Osimhen was a constant threat throughout the game, battling against the Fenerbahçe defence until he was substituted for Álvaro Morata in the 86th minute.
His two-goal display takes his season tally to an impressive 28 goals and five assists in 32 matches across all competitions.
With the victory, Galatasaray advanced to the semifinals, where they will face Konyaspor.
