Galatasaray Coach Reacts After Losing First UCL Match in Victor Osimhen’s Absence
- Galatasaray lost their opening UEFA Champions League group match against Sporting Lisbon 3-1 without Victor Osimhen
- Head coach Okan Buruk pointed to missed chances as the key reason his side failed to take points from the game
- Osimhen, sidelined by a groin injury, will also miss Galatasaray's upcoming league match against Kocaelispor
PAY ATTENTION: Find it fast with our new search feature at Legit.ng!
Galatasaray head coach Okan Buruk has spoken out after his side were beaten 3-1 by Sporting Lisbon in their first UEFA Champions League fixture of the 2026/27 season, a game played without injured striker Victor Osimhen.
The Turkish champions took an early lead through Lukas Toreira, but Sporting hit back through Geny Catamo before Luis Javier Suarez and Rodrigo Zalazar gave the home side all three points in the second half.
Source: Getty Images
Osimhen, who is recovering from a groin injury, was absent from the squad, with Baris Alper Yilmaz deployed in the centre-forward role.
Galatasaray created three clear opportunities but failed to take any of them, a fact that clearly weighed on Buruk after the final whistle.
Buruk speaks after Galatasaray defeat
Speaking to TRT Spor after the match, Buruk argued that his team controlled large portions of the game but were undone by wastefulness in front of goal.
“We scored an early goal. We had possession, we controlled the game. We actually played a very comfortable first half. Our opponents didn't even get near our goal,” he said.
“The chances we created, the possession we had, the way we pushed the opponent back in their own half... everything was going very well, then we conceded a very easy goal.”
The Galatasaray manager made clear that the result itself was less troubling to him than the pattern of failing to convert when it matters, adding:
“We played our first match. We could have easily won here. What upsets me isn't the loss, of course; it's the fact that I'm losing every match... We really could have won this match and left here with ease.”
According to GS TV, Osimhen will not be available for Galatasaray's next outing either. The Nigerian forward is set to sit out the club's league clash against Kocaelispor as he continues his recovery from the groin problem.
Buruk bemoans Osimhen's absence
Legit.ng previously reported that Okan Buruk admitted that Victor Osimhen is a big miss for his side ahead of their first Champions League match.
However, the Turkish manager expressed confidence in his available players and hoped that they would get the job done in Portugal, which unfortunately they didn't.
Source: Legit.ng
