Major upset! Osimhen brings Liverpool to their knees!
Reading Time: 4min | Wed. 01.10.25. | 00:03
The Nigerian scored the spot-kick winner and "killed" the Reds, becoming the most efficient Nigerian in the Champions League history!
If anyone at Anfield expected Liverpool's new Champions League campaign to be a walk in the park, they couldn't have been more wrong!
After barely beating Atletico Madrid at home two weeks ago thanks to Virgil van Dijk's added-time winner, the Reds fell seriously short in Istanbul tonight, losing to Galatasaray - 1-0!
Arne Slot's team significantly disappointed their fans and had only a few chances to jeopardize the excellent Ugurcan Cakir in the Turkish side's goal. The Dutchman left Mohamed Salah and Alexander Isak on the bench and was punished in the end. He subbed the duo in, giving them half an hour to turn the tables, but they were pretty invisible.
Galatasaray weren't much better than the visitors, but used their best chance and scored a winner already in the 16th minute, when Dominik Szoboszlai conceded a penalty and Victor Osimhen threw the decisive punch, knocking down the mighty Liverpool!
WELCOME TO HELL. NO WAY OUT. pic.twitter.com/i0fJ3fwYI0
— Galatasaray EN (@Galatasaray) September 30, 2025
Arne Slot stunned everyone, leaving Mohamed Salah and Alexander Isak on the bench, and the risk initially didn't pay off, to say the least.
Fourteen minutes into the game, Liverpool had the first colossal chance in the match. Galatasaray custodian Ugurcan Cakir stopped Hugo Ekitike one-on-one, while the defender Ismail Jakobs made an outstanding goal-line clearance following Cody Gakpo's rebound effort.
The Turkish side immediately responded with a hasty counter, which ended with Dominik Szoboszlai's foul on Baris Alper Yilmaz in the box and a penalty kick for Galatasaray! Victor Osimhen was impeccable from the spot, giving the home team the lead after only 16 minutes!
Florian Wirtz's decent attempt in the 32nd minute marked the last notable moment of the first period in which the Turkish champions were a worthy rival to the Premier League winners, which seriously failed to justify the role of favourite they had had ahead of the clash.
Victor Osimhen has become the first Nigerian 🇳🇬 player to score 10 goals in the Champions League.#GSLIV #UCL pic.twitter.com/KpsCghznMc
— Galatasaray EN (@Galatasaray) September 30, 2025
Minutes after the break, Ekitike could have levelled with a nice heel touch, but Cakir was cautious and Galatasaray were incredibly close to doubling their lead in the 54th minute, but Osimhen failed to exploit Ibrahima Konate's massive error, allowing Alisson to easily stop his shot. Still, the Brazilian keeper picked up an injury in the process and was force to leave the pitch, while Giorgi Mamardashvili got a chance to debut in the Champions League.
Given that his team was still down at the hour mark, Slot realized the game started slipping out of his crew's hands, and subbed in Salah and Isak for Gakpo and Ekitike. On the other hand, the home team's boss Okan Buruk reacted shortly and replaced - tonight mediocre, despite the goal - Osimhen with the ex-Inter Milan captain Mauro Icardi.
Even though the Dutch tactician sent heavy artillery to the pitch, apart from Isak's mild attempt which Cakir easily deflected, the Swede and the Egyptian brought little to the Reds. The clock was ticking and Liverpool seriously struggled, failing to find the key for Galatasaray's lock.
Minutes before the end, the ref Clement Turpin gave the visitors a hope they'd be awarded a penalty, but VAR overturned the Frenchman's decision. That turned out to be the last ray of hope for Liverpool, as the victorious party in Istanbul was set to start!
In the next UCL round, the EPL champions will face Eintracht in Frankfurt, while Galatasaray will host the Norwegian Bodo/Glimt.
UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE - MATCHDAY 2
Tuesday
Atalanta - Club Brugge 2-1 (0-1)
/Samardzic 73 pen, Pasalic 87 - Tzolis 38/
Kairat - Real Madrid 0-5 (0-1)
/Mbappe 25 pen, 52, 74, Camavinga 83, Diaz 90+3/
Atletico Madrid - Eintracht Frankfurt 5-1 (3-0)
/Raspadori 4, Le Normand 33, Griezmann 45+1, 68, Alvarez 82 pen - Burkardt 57/
Bodo/Glimt - Tottenham 2-2 (0-0)
/Hauge 53, 66 - Van de Ven 69, Richarlison 89/
Chelsea - Benfica 1-0 (1-0)
/Rios 18 og/
Galatasaray - Liverpool 1-0 (1-0)
/Osimhen 16 pen/
Inter - Slavia Prague 3-0 (2-0)
/Lautaro 30, 65, Dumfries 34/
Olympique Marseille - Ajax 4-0 (3-0)
/Paixao 6, 13, Greenwood 26, Aubameyang 53/
Pafos - Bayern 1-5 (1-4)
/Orsic 45 - Kane 15, 35, Guerreiro 21, Jackson 31, Olise 69/
Wednesday
19.45: (2.70) Qarabag (3.35) Copenhagen (2.60)
19.45: (3.50) St.Gilloise (3.45) Newcastle (2.10)
22.00: (1.20) Arsenal (6.75) Olympiakos (14.0)
22.00: (1.95) Barcelona (3.70) PSG (3.70)
22.00: (1.83) Dortmund (3.50) Ath.Bilbao (4.50)
22.00: (1.87) Leverkusen (3.60) PSV (4.20)
22.00: (6.75) Monaco (4.40) Man.City (1.48)
22.00: (1.90) Napoli (3.50) Sporting (4.10)
22.00: (2.35) Villareal (3.35) Juventus (3.05)
***odds are subject to change***
