Galatasaray’s star forward Victor Osimhen has lauded the tenacity of Juventus following the high-stakes UEFA Champions League Round of 16 playoff second leg in Turin. Despite the Turkish giants successfully securing a spot in the next phase, the 27-year-old striker was surprisingly critical of his side’s performance at the Allianz Stadium. On a night that swung from crisis to relief, Juventus managed a 3-2 victory in the second leg, nearly overturning a massive first-leg deficit before ultimately bowing out with a 7-5 aggregate loss to the Istanbul-based outfit.
The encounter on Wednesday night was a rollercoaster for the “Yellow and Reds,” who entered the pitch protecting a comfortable 5-2 lead from their home leg. However, a spirited and relentless display by the Italian side saw them erase the three-goal disadvantage during regulation time, forcing the playoff into a tense extra-time period. While Osimhen and Baris Yilmaz eventually found the net in the additional 30 minutes to seal qualification, the Nigerian international was quick to acknowledge that his opponents were the superior side for much of the evening.
“I’m disappointed in the performance of the whole team, and I have to give kudos to Juventus. They deserved the win, but I am happy we qualified. We qualified, but we have a lot to improve in the knock-out stage if we want to go into the next round and play the big dogs. This performance today was not really good. I think Juventus deserved the win, but I am happy for my team to qualify for the next round.”
Osimhen’s candid assessment highlights the growing pressure on Galatasaray as they transition from the playoff rounds to the elite territory of the Round of 16. Having spent four successful years in Serie A with Napoli, the striker’s “kudos” to the “Old Lady” carries significant weight, recognizing the pedigree of a club that refused to yield despite the odds. His insistence on returning to the drawing board suggests that the Turkish champions are fully aware of the tactical vulnerabilities exposed by the ten-man Juventus squad during their near-miraculous comeback attempt.
As Galatasaray prepares for the Friday draw in Nyon, where they could be paired with Premier League powerhouses like Liverpool or Tottenham, Osimhen’s call for improvement serves as a rallying cry for his teammates. The talismanic forward, who has already netted 13 goals in continental competition this season, knows that mental lapses of the sort seen in Turin will be punished even more severely by the “big dogs” awaiting them in the next round. For now, while the aggregate scoreline favors the Turks, the psychological edge belongs to a player demanding more from his roster.
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