Victor Osimhen’s Galatasaray vs Barcelona Becomes Turkish Football’s Most Expensive Match
- Tickets for Galatasaray's Champions League clash with Barcelona at RAMS Park reportedly reached 75,000 Turkish lira, or about $1,520
- All official tickets for the October 13 fixture have sold out, with the game potentially generating around $5 million for the Turkish club
- Victor Osimhen returned from an adductor injury as a substitute in Galatasaray's last league game, raising questions about his readiness to start
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Galatasaray's UEFA Champions League home game against Barcelona on Tuesday, October 13, has broken ticket price records in Turkish football, with demand pushing prices to as high as 75,000 Turkish lira, roughly $1,520, for a seat at RAMS Park in Istanbul.
The club's official ticketing platform shows all available tickets have sold out.
Source: Getty Images
Reports, including one from Türkiye Today, noted that police conducted raids on ticket scalpers ahead of the match, reflecting how far secondary market prices had climbed.
The cheapest tickets on official channels were listed at around 2,800 lira, or about $57.
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According to The Touchline, the fixture has been widely described as the most expensive match in Turkish football history.
Estimates suggest Galatasaray could earn close to $5 million when combining ticket revenue and merchandise sales linked to the occasion, though that figure has not been officially confirmed by the club.
Galatasaray look to recover after European opener
The heightened atmosphere comes as Galatasaray seek to recover from a difficult start to their Champions League campaign.
The Turkish champions fell 3-1 to Sporting CP in their opening league-phase fixture.
An own goal by Gonçalo Inácio gave them an early lead, but Sporting came back to take all three points.
Barcelona, by contrast, arrive in fine form as Hansi Flick's side opened their European campaign with a 5-1 victory over Feyenoord and have kept a perfect record in La Liga.
In eight previous Champions League meetings between the two clubs, Barcelona have won five, drawn two, and lost one.
Osimhen's fitness a key concern for Galatasaray
Victor Osimhen's availability adds another layer of intrigue to the tie, per SportsMole.
The Nigerian striker sat out the Champions League opener after picking up an adductor injury but was introduced as a substitute in Galatasaray's 3-1 domestic win over Kasımpaşa on Friday.
Abdülkerim Bardakcı gave the hosts an early lead before Barış Alper Yılmaz and Mario Lemina added late goals to seal the points.
Osimhen played a part in the build-up to Lemina's stoppage-time finish, suggesting he is moving closer to full fitness.
Whether manager Okan Buruk will risk starting Osimhen from the beginning against Barcelona remains to be seen, but the striker's return gives Galatasaray a potent option as they look to make their home advantage count.
Barcelona star set to miss Galatasaray clash
Legit,ng previously reported about Raphinha’s absence from Barcelona’s Champions League clash against Galatasaray after he picked up a knock while on international duty with Brazil.
Galatasaray are still chasing their first win in the competition after losing their opener to Sporting Lisbon.
Source: Legit.ng
