Victor Osimhen's presence instills fear

Juventus legend Alessandro Del Piero believes Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen offers far more than goals, following his influential performance in Galatasaray’s 5–2 win over the Old Lady in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League knockout play-off on Tuesday, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.

Osimhen did not get on the scoresheet for the Turkish giants, but he registered two assists on the night, helping Galatasaray come back from 2–1 down to take a commanding advantage into the second leg in Italy next week.

Galatasaray, featuring in the knockout stages for the first time since the 2013/14 season, started brightly and took the lead when Gabriel Sara fired home after Kenan Yildiz lost possession in a dangerous area. Juventus responded almost immediately through Teun Koopmeiners, who converted from close range after Pierre Kalulu’s header had been parried. The visitors then added a second before the break.

Osimhen had already shown glimpses of his threat, volleying over the bar and later forcing Michele Di Gregorio into a low save, while also testing the goalkeeper with a header destined for the bottom corner.

The second half swung emphatically in Galatasaray’s favour. Noa Lang equalised after Di Gregorio could only push Baris Alper Yilmaz’s effort into his path, before Davinson Sanchez bundled in from a free-kick to restore the hosts’ lead.

Juventus’ task became even more difficult when Juan Cabal was sent off for a second bookable offence with more than 20 minutes remaining. Galatasaray capitalised swiftly, and Osimhen was central to the move that made it 4–2. Pressing sharply, he intercepted a loose pass and slipped the ball into Lang’s path for a simple finish.

With the tie slipping away from the Italian side, Osimhen continued to influence proceedings in the final third. In the 86th minute, he turned provider again, teeing up substitute Sacha Boey inside the penalty area. Boey kept his composure to find the left corner and seal an emphatic victory.

Del Piero, who was on television analysis duty, hailed the Nigerian’s impact.

“The mere presence of players like Victor Osimhen instils fear in you. He only took one shot, right? But it instils fear anyway. There’s ruthlessness in him, there’s quality in him. He never stops,” he told Sky Sport Italia.

The Juventus legend also referenced Luciano Spalletti’s assessment of the match, noting the Old Lady’s susceptibility to “trivial mistakes” and a lack of on-pitch personality when off form.

“This means that if Juventus don’t play at their best, they are at risk,” Del Piero said.

“They risk not having that presence on the pitch, that personality that ultimately overwhelms you because the others are playing football.”

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