Victor Osimhen netted a brace in the space of eight minutes to lead Galatasaray to a convincing 3-2 victory over ten-man Tottenham Hotspur in the UEFA Europa League on Thursday.
Galatasaray manager, Okan Buruk, started the match with a formidable attacking duo of Osimhen and Mauro Icardi. However, it was left-back Yunus Akgun who opened the scoring in the sixth minute with a well-struck shot from outside the box.
Tottenham responded in the 18th minute through teenager William Lankshear, who became Tottenham’s youngest goalscorer in major European competition since Harry Kane (18y 140d) who netted against Shamrock Rovers in the 2011-12 UEFA Europa League.
Osimhen took center stage in the 31st minute, converting a precise pass from Dries Mertens. Just eight minutes later, he doubled his tally with a controlled volley that left Tottenham goalkeeper Fraser Foster helpless.
Lankshear’s promising performance was cut short in the 60th minute as he was sent off for a second yellow card offense. Despite being a man down, Tottenham managed to pull one back in the 69th minute through Dominic Solanke. However, they were unable to find the equalizer.
Osimhen could have extended his goal tally even further, but a missed header and a blocked shot denied him additional scoring opportunities. Nevertheless, his two goals and two assists in three Europa League matches, along with his six goals in eight games across all competitions, highlight his impressive form.
Osimhen was taken off in the 80th minute and replaced by midfielder Kerem Demirbay. The win means Galatasaray are still unbeaten in the competition this season.
