Galatasaray stormed to an emphatic 3–0 victory over Ajax at the Johan Cruyff Arena, with Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen producing a masterclass performance capped by a stunning hat-trick, two of which came from the penalty spot.
The Turkish champions were dominant from the outset, silencing the home crowd in Amsterdam with a composed and clinical display.
Ajax, despite flashes of intent, could find no answer to Galatasaray’s intensity and Osimhen’s ruthless finishing.
After a cagey first half, Osimhen broke the deadlock in the 59th minute with a towering header off Leroy Sané’s precise cross. Seven minutes later, he doubled the lead from the spot after Youri Baas handled the ball inside the area.
The Nigerian forward completed his memorable treble in the 78th minute, again from the penalty spot, after Gerald Alders was penalized for a handball, sealing Galatasaray’s dominant triumph and leaving Ajax deflated.
While the hosts tried to respond through Oscar Gloukh and Mika Godts, their efforts were easily snuffed out by Galatasaray’s disciplined backline.
Osimhen’s heroics etched his name into UEFA Champions League history, making him only the second Nigerian ever to score a hat-trick in the competition at the iconic Johan Cruyff Arena.
The feat sees him join Yakubu Ayegbeni, who achieved the same milestone for Maccabi Haifa in a 3–0 win over Olympiacos on September 24, 2002.
With this performance, Osimhen also shattered Obafemi Martins’ long-standing record for most goals by a Nigerian in European club competitions.
The Galatasaray talisman now boasts 25 goals across UEFA tournaments, 12 in the Champions League and 13 in the Europa League, surpassing Martins’ tally of 23.
Ahead of the encounter, Ajax head coach John Heitinga had described Osimhen as “one of Europe’s finest forwards,” likening his influence to that of Didier Drogba and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
On Wednesday night in Amsterdam, Osimhen lived up to that billing and perhaps even exceeded it.
