Turkish football analyst Sinan Engin has asserted that Galatasaray would have achieved a different result against Sporting CP had Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen been available for the game.
Osimhen, a key player for the Yellow-Reds since the beginning of the season, was unable to play the match due to an injury he sustained during the 3-2 victory over İstanbul Başakşehir.
The club later confirmed that the Nigerian forward had suffered a groin injury following a post-match evaluation.
In a discussion on the Asist Analiz YouTube channel via Habersarikirmizi, Engin criticised Galatasaray’s performance despite their advantage in possession, stating that Sporting was not a formidable opponent and could have been defeated if Osimhen had been fit for the encounter.
“Galatasaray had possession percentage but no results. Perhaps they are one of the weakest teams they could play against in the Champions League. I don’t accept that Sporting is a flying, amazing team,” Engin said.
“If Galatasaray had been a little better, and Osimhen had been there, this match would have been very different.”
The loss further exacerbated the Super Lig champions’ difficulties in the UEFA Champions League without Osimhen, as Galatasaray have not secured a victory in their last six matches in the competition that the Nigerian striker has missed.
Since the beginning of the previous season, they have suffered defeats against Sporting Lisbon, AZ Alkmaar, Eintracht Frankfurt, and Union Saint-Gilloise, while also drawing with Malmö and Rigas Skola.
Osimhen will now aim for a swift recovery from his groin injury to return to the field soon, as Galatasaray seeks to regain their winning form in the Champions League.
UCL: ‘It would have been different’ – Engin blames Osimhen’s absence for Galatasaray’s 3-1 defeat