Victor Osimhen has returned to the Galatasaray Sports City with the intention of making a decisive difference against Barcelona in the Champions League. The 27-year-old Nigerian forward arrived on Monday in a Ferrari and appeared prepared to “ruin” the Catalan team's tenth consecutive victory this season. Osimhen, who had already scored against the Catalans in the first leg of the 2023 Champions League round of 16 with Napoli, reappeared on Friday at the Turkish club's stadium, where they are expected to lead the attack after a month of absence due to an adductor injury.
Osimhen's month without playing was due to a muscle injury that prevented him from participating in the season's games. His return came in the final stretch of the game against Kasimpasa, where he appeared again in the last 13 minutes. The Nigerian striker had already demonstrated his scoring ability in the Champions League, scoring a goal that helped Galatasaray beat Juventus in the playoff with his goal in Turin. In the round of 16 stage, the Turkish team failed to maintain the 1-0 lead from the first leg and lost 4-0 to Liverpool.
The club's president, Okan Buruk, has expressed his ambition to face Barcelona. In an interview on Tuesday, before the Movistar Champions League match, Buruk emphasized the need to have quality players on the wings. Rafa Leao and Leroy Sané are expected to occupy those positions, although Yunus Akgün is also expected to continue on the right, as he did in the match against Sporting Lisbon. In the midfield, attention is focused on the Russian Aleksey Batrakov, signed in August from Lokomotiv Moscow for 25 million euros, while in the double pivot Buruk trusts in the solidity of the Uruguayan Lucas Torreira and the Brazilian Gabriel Sara.
In defense, captain Ugurcan Çakir, 30, will lead the goal along with Hungarian Roland Sallai and German Ismail Jakobs on the wings. The Colombian Davinson Sánchez and the Turkish Abdülkerim Bardakci, both with international experience, will form the axis of the defense. Former Barcelona player Ilkay Gündogan, who has only accumulated six minutes in the league and five in the Champions League, will start the game as a substitute. With this lineup, Galatasaray seeks to take advantage of the experience and quality of its players to try to surpass Barcelona and advance in European competition.