Victor Osimhen praises Lille after Galatasaray win in Champions League

Victor Osimhen admitted Lille made Galatasaray work hard for their 4-2 victory in Wednesday’s UEFA Champions League meeting at Stade Pierre-Mauroy.

The Nigeria striker scored Galatasaray’s fourth goal in the 61st minute, securing the Turkish champions’ first points of the 2026/27 Champions League campaign.

Osimhen, who previously played for Lille, was named Player of the Match after helping Galatasaray overcome a contest in which the French side twice threatened to take control.

“I love this stadium. The fans are incredible. We had a tough match. I’m very happy for our team, we won,” Osimhen told the club’s official website.

The 26-year-old also praised Lille’s performance and wished his former club well for the rest of their campaign.

“I also wish Lille good luck in their next matches. Lille players are very tough. They even took the lead. We managed to win the match together as a team. I’m happy we got the three points,” he said.

Galatasaray made the stronger start when Yunus Akgun put them ahead, but Lille responded through Soriba Diaoune, who scored twice to turn the match around for the hosts.

Aleksey Batrakov brought Galatasaray level before half-time, while Nabil Bentaleb’s own goal put the visitors back in front after the interval.

Osimhen then extended Galatasaray’s advantage with a right-footed finish, ending his wait for a Champions League goal this season.

The forward had failed to score in Galatasaray’s opening two fixtures of the competition, but found the net against his former club to complete the scoring.

His all-round display earned recognition from the UEFA Technical Observer Group, which selected him as the game’s Player of the Match.

The group highlighted Osimhen’s continued threat to the Lille defence, his intelligent movement away from the ball and his ability to create space for his team-mates. It also praised his outstanding centre-forward play.

The result leaves Galatasaray with their first points of the campaign, while Osimhen’s contribution ensured their difficult evening in France ended with victory.