Super Eagles striker, Victor Osimhen, marked his return from injury with an assist as Galatasaray defeated Kasımpaşa 3-1 in the Turkish Süper Lig at RAMS Park on Friday.
The Nigerian forward came on as a substitute after spending weeks out with a groin injury, helping the Istanbul giants secure victory despite playing with 10 men for much of the second half.
Galatasaray broke the deadlock in the 45th minute when defender Abdülkerim Bardakcı headed home from Aleksey Batrakov’s free-kick to give the hosts a first-half lead.
Their advantage was threatened 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 took advantage of their numerical superiority three minutes later, with Jesurun Rak-Sakyi finding the net after Galatasaray failed to clear a corner, drawing the visitors level at 1-1.
However, Barış Alper Yılmaz restored Galatasaray’s lead in the 90th minute before Osimhen set up Mario Lemina for a stoppage-time goal that confirmed the home side’s 3-1 victory.
The result lifted Galatasaray to the top of the league table with 16 points, while Kasımpaşa remained on 10 points after suffering their first defeat of the campaign.
Osimhen’s return comes at a crucial time for Galatasaray, who are preparing for their upcoming UEFA Champions League fixture against Barcelona.
The striker sustained the groin injury during Galatasaray’s 3-2 league victory over İstanbul Başakşehir on September 4.
The club later confirmed a strain in his right adductor muscle group, which forced him to miss several matches and withdraw from Nigeria’s squad for the opening 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
