Nigeria international Victor Osimhen played a decisive role as Galatasaray stunned Liverpool F.C. 1–0 in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League Round of 16 play-off clash on Monday night.
The Turkish champions struck early, taking advantage of a seventh-minute corner that unsettled the visitors’ defence.
Osimhen rose highest inside the box to nod the ball back across goal, where Mario Lemina reacted quickest, glancing a header past the goalkeeper to hand Galatasaray the lead.
The early strike proved decisive as the hosts held firm against sustained pressure from the English side.
Liverpool began brightly and nearly opened the scoring in the opening minutes when Florian Wirtz fired narrowly wide. The visitors continued to threaten through set pieces and long-range efforts, with Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister testing the Galatasaray defence.
However, goalkeeper Uğurcan Çakır produced several crucial saves to preserve the hosts’ advantage.
Liverpool thought they had drawn level in the 72nd minute when Ibrahima Konaté found the net, but the goal was ruled out after a VAR review confirmed a handball in the build-up.
Osimhen remained a constant menace for the Turkish side, troubling Liverpool’s defence with his pace and aerial presence. The Nigerian striker also had a goal chalked off for offside earlier in the second half.
The visitors pressed relentlessly in the closing stages, with substitute Cody Gakpo going close with a long-range effort that drifted just wide.
Galatasaray, however, held on to secure a narrow but valuable first-leg victory.
The result gives the Turkish giants a slender advantage ahead of the decisive return leg at Anfield, where Liverpool must overturn the deficit to keep their Champions League campaign alive.
