Victor Osimhen criticised by Necati Ates over body language in Galatasaray win

Former Galatasaray forward Necati Ates has criticised Victor Osimhen’s body language and decision-making after the Nigeria striker failed to score or provide an assist in Saturday afternoon’s 1-0 victory over Genclerbirligi.

Osimhen played for ninety minutes but was unable to add to his goals or create a goal for the first time this campaign. Ates said the 26-year-old appeared to show a different attitude when he does not find the net.

Speaking on the Spor Gecesi Digital YouTube channel, Ates argued that scoring is central to Osimhen’s game and influences his demeanour during matches.

“I don’t like Osimhen’s body language. When Osimhen doesn’t score, he switches to a different version of himself because he thrives on goals,” Ates was quoted as saying by Habersarikirmizi.

The former Galatasaray player also focused on an incident in which he believed Osimhen should have passed to Deniz Gul, who could have finished into an unguarded goal.

Ates accepted that the decision was not deliberate, but said Osimhen had chosen the wrong option by passing to Batrakov instead.

“He didn’t pass to Deniz Gul so he could score into an empty net. He didn’t pass to Deniz, he passed to Batrakov. It wasn’t intentional, but his choice was wrong,” he added.

Despite Ates’s criticism, Osimhen has continued to play an important role for Galatasaray since the beginning of the campaign. The Nigerian striker has scored six goals and provided three assists.

His performance against Genclerbirligi was therefore the first time this season that he had completed a match without either scoring or registering an assist.

Galatasaray are competing across all competitions, and Osimhen will be looking to respond in the coming weeks by addressing the concerns raised about his body language and returning to the form that has made him a key figure for the club.