Victor Osimhen: Super Eagles Striker Makes Galatasaray History After Scoring in 4-2 Win Over Lille

Victor Osimhen: Super Eagles Striker Makes Galatasaray History After Scoring in 4-2 Win Over Lille

  • Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen scored in Galatasaray's 4-2 Champions League win over Lille on October 21
  • Osimhen's goal was his 14th in European competition for Galatasaray, setting a new record for a foreign player at the club
  • The Turkish side came from behind to claim their first win of the 2026 UEFA Champions League campaign

Super Eagles forward Victor Osimhen has written his name into Galatasaray's history books after becoming the club's highest-scoring foreign player in European cup competitions.

The Nigerian striker reached 14 European goals for the Turkish giants with his effort on Tuesday, October 21, as Galatasaray fought back to beat Lille 4-2 in the 2026 UEFA Champions League group stage.

Victor Osimhen, UEFA, Champions League, Galatasaray, Lille
Victor Osimhen became Galatasaray's top foreign scorer in Europe after netting his 14th goal for the Turkish giants against Lille. Photo by Franco Arland
Source: Getty Images

The result handed Galatasaray their first three points of the European campaign.

Osimhen's record-breaking strike

Osimhen's goal arrived in the 61st minute and sealed a comeback victory for the Istanbul club at home. It was his first Champions League goal of the current season and his seventh in all competitions for Galatasaray.

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Victor Osimhen reacts after scoring his first Champions League goal this season vs Lille

According to Opta, his tally of 14 goals in European competition for the club puts him ahead of former foreign stars who had previously held the record.

Czech forward Milan Baroš and Congolese striker Shabani Nonda each scored 12 European goals for Galatasaray, while Brazilian forward Mario Jardel contributed 11 and Romanian legend Gheorghe Hagi netted 10.

How the game unfolded

Galatasaray made a flying start when Yunus Akgun struck inside the second minute to give the hosts an early advantage.

According to Livescores, the Turkish side's lead did not last long, with Lille's 19-year-old Soriba Diaoune scoring twice, in the seventh and 39th minutes, to put the visitors ahead before half-time.

Aleksey Batrakov had also found the target in the 44th minute as Lille looked to make their first-half dominance count.

Galatasaray regrouped at the interval and pulled level through an own goal by Nabil Bentaleb shortly after the restart.

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Osimhen then put the match beyond doubt with his 61st-minute finish, completing a four-goal haul for the home side and sending Galatasaray back to winning ways in Europe.

The result offers a significant confidence boost for Galatasaray as they pursue a deeper run in this season's Champions League.

For Osimhen, the milestone adds to an already impressive record at the club, and the Super Eagles forward will be looking to extend his tally further as the group stage continues.

Osimhen reacts after scoring first UCL goal

Legit.ng previously reported about Osimhen’s first Champions League goal of the season, which helped Galatasaray beat Lille and secure their first win in the competition.

The goal came against Osimhen’s former club, where he played during the 2019/20 season. Despite scoring, he chose not to celebrate as a mark of respect.

Source: Legit.ng

Authors:
Chukwu Ikechukwu avatar

Chukwu Ikechukwu (Sports Editor) Chukwu Ikechukwu Godwin is a seasoned sports journalist with over a decade of experience across radio, TV, and online media. His career has seen him contribute his expertise to prominent media outlets such as Today FM, Wish FM, Silverbird Communications, and Sports Brief. Chukwu has covered prominent sporting events, including the African Wrestling Championship, NPFL matches, AFCON, and World Cup qualifiers, etc. Email: Chukwu.ikechukwu@corp.legit.ng