Osimhen’s Strike Falls Short as Galatasaray Exit Europa League
Victor Osimhen’s goal was not enough to propel Galatasaray into the Europa League Round of 16 as they suffered a 4-2 defeat to AZ Alkmaar on Thursday, ending their hopes of progressing in Europe’s premier club competition.
The Nigerian forward, who had missed the first leg due to suspension, was eager to make an impact in the return match at Rams Park. However, despite his best efforts and Galatasaray’s determination to overturn a daunting 4-1 first-leg deficit, it was the youthful AZ Alkmaar side that dominated the encounter.
With an average squad age of 23.2 years, Alkmaar outplayed their much more experienced Turkish opponents, who boasted an average age of 28.3. The visitors stunned the home crowd with a composed and clinical performance, scoring two goals in each half to seal a comprehensive win.
The first blow came just before halftime when AZ Alkmaar’s Seiya Maikuma took advantage of a fortunate deflection after Galatasaray failed to clear the ball. Despite Osimhen’s strike, which brought hope for a possible comeback, it wasn’t enough to shift the momentum in Galatasaray’s favor.
This loss followed another disappointing moment for Nigerian footballers in European competitions, as Ademola Lookman and Atalanta had already exited the tournament just a day earlier, leaving fans of Nigerian stars hoping for better fortunes in future fixtures.
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