Victor Osimhen was full of respect for his opponents after he fired Galatasaray to a dramatic 1-0 Champions League victory over Liverpool on Tuesday, calling the Reds “one of the greatest clubs in the world.”
The Nigerian striker, who was an injury doubt leading up to the match, secured the win with a decisive first-half penalty, ending Galatasaray’s seven-year wait for a home victory in the Champions League and igniting wild celebrations at RAMS Park.
Victory is a ‘Huge Motivation’
Osimhen had only returned from a month on the sidelines with a late substitute appearance on Friday, but his immediate impact in the starting XI was undeniable. Despite the famous victory, the 26-year-old urged his teammates to remain grounded.
“I’m extremely happy about the performance we put in about one of the greatest clubs in the world,” Osimhen told CBS Sports after the final whistle. “For us, we never get carried away because this is a true test that Liverpool gave to us and I’m really happy about this win.”
The striker acknowledged the stature of the opposition: “It won’t take away that they are one of the best [teams] in the last decade. For us, it’s a really big motivation.” He added that the contest highlighted areas for improvement for the Turkish side. “We have quality in our team and we just need to be focused in many games in this competition.”
Conquering Demons Against Alisson
Osimhen also admitted the penalty was personally significant, as it allowed him to finally score against the six-time European champions and conquer a personal demon against Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker.
The Nigerian had faced Alisson and Liverpool twice before during his time with Napoli, and in 2022, the Brazilian had saved a penalty attempt from him.
“You come face-to-face with one of the best goalkeepers in the world, Alisson,” he said. “I came against him when I played for my previous club and he read my penalty so I needed to be highly concentrated to do better.”
Osimhen succeeded, netting his first-ever goal against the Reds in a moment he called “huge,” especially as Alisson—who the striker lauded as one of the best in the world—was forced off with an injury later in the second half.
The goal provides a decisive answer to pre-match speculation. Although Osimhen had been heavily linked with a potential summer move to Liverpool, Reds manager Arne Slot had recently played down the idea, insisting the Nigerian was never a genuine target.
