Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen made a successful return from injury, providing an assist as Galatasaray secured a 3–1 victory over Kasımpaşa in Friday’s Turkish Süper Lig encounter at RAMS Park, Trybal News reports.
The Nigerian forward came off the bench after spending several weeks on the sidelines with a groin injury, providing a timely boost for the Istanbul club ahead of their upcoming UEFA Champions League clash against Barcelona.
Galatasaray took the lead in the 45th minute when defender Abdülkerim Bardakcı headed home from Aleksey Batrakov’s free-kick.
However, the hosts task became more difficult in the 65th minute when midfielder Lucas Torreira was sent off after a VAR review upgraded his yellow card to a red for denying a clear goalscoring opportunity.
Kasımpaşa capitalised on their numerical advantage three minutes later, with Jesurun Rak-Sakyi finding the net after Galatasaray failed to clear a corner properly to restore parity at 1–1.
Despite being reduced to 10 men, Galatasaray continued to push for a winner and regained the lead in the 90th minute through Barış Alper Yılmaz, who finished clinically to put the hosts ahead.
Osimhen then made his mark in stoppage time, helping set up Mario Lemina’s goal to seal a hard-fought 3–1 victory for the Turkish champions.
The result takes Galatasaray to 16 points and back to the top of the league table, while Kasımpaşa suffered their first defeat of the campaign and remained on 10 points.
Osimhen’s return is a significant boost for Galatasaray as they prepare for their Champions League meeting with Barcelona on October 13.
The 27-year-old sustained the injury during Galatasaray’s 3–2 league victory over İstanbul Başakşehir on September 4. Subsequent medical examinations confirmed a strain in his right adductor muscle group, forcing him to miss several matches and withdraw from Nigeria’s squad for the opening 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
His return to action, capped by a decisive contribution in Galatasaray’s late surge, will offer encouragement to both club and country as he works towards regaining full match fitness.
