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Osimhen returns as Galatasaray ease past Fatih Karagümrük

Victor Osimhen made his second debut for Galatasaray as the Turkish champions recorded a 3-0 home victory over newly-promoted Fatih Karagümrük in the Süper Lig.

The 26-year-old Nigeria international, who joined from Napoli three weeks ago, had missed the opening-day win at Gaziantep due to lack of match fitness and had not featured in a competitive match since June.

Barış Alper Yılmaz, who scored twice in the league opener, continued his fine form by firing Galatasaray in front inside 10 minutes.

The visitors’ task became even harder in the 23rd minute when Marius Doh was shown a red card after a VAR review.

Despite the numerical advantage, Galatasaray were wasteful in the first half, with Mario Lemina and Leroy Sané missing good chances to extend the lead before the interval.

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Manager Okan Buruk handed Osimhen his long-awaited return in the 61st minute, to a rousing reception from the Rams Park crowd.

Victor Osimhen made his second Galatasaray debut in a 3-0 Süper Lig win over Fatih Karagümrük, coming off the bench in Istanbul.

Osimhen made his first appearance of the 2025/2026 season for Galatasaray. Photo Credit: X

Although the Super Eagles striker did not get on the scoresheet, his presence added urgency to the attack.

Osimhen, registered two attempts in his 30-minute cameo, with only one forcing the goalkeeper into action.

Galatasaray doubled their lead 13 minutes after his introduction when Karagümrük defender Fatih Kurucuk diverted the ball into his own net.

In the 87th minute, Mauro Icardi making his return from an ACL injury that had kept him sidelined for over 200 days tapped home from former Arsenal midfielder Lucas Torreira’s pass to seal the win.

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The result leaves Cimbom joint-top of the Süper Lig table after two matches, with Osimhen now expected to feature more prominently as he regains match sharpness.

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