Galatasaray coach urged to fix Nigeria striker Victor Osimhen problem after Barcelona defeat

Turkish football commentator Hüseyin Özkök has urged Galatasaray coach Okan Buruk to address Victor Osimhen’s recurring offside problem after the Nigerian striker endured a frustrating night in the club’s 4-1 defeat to Barcelona in the Champions League.

Osimhen struggled to influence proceedings at Rams Park on Tuesday, repeatedly falling into Barcelona’s offside trap as the Spanish giants extended their winning run to 10 matches.

The Nigeria international was caught offside six times, accounting for six of Galatasaray’s eight offside offences in a match that exposed the difficulties the Turkish side faced against Barcelona’s high defensive line.

Özkök believes Buruk must find a solution to the striker’s positioning if Galatasaray are to get the best out of their prolific forward.

“Out of 8 offsides in Galatasaray, 6 belong to Osimhen. Okan Buruk must definitely solve Osimhen’s offside problem,” Özkök said to A Spor.

Barcelona’s high line frustrates Osimhen

Barcelona’s defensive approach proved effective in limiting Osimhen’s involvement, preventing the striker from finding the space he needed to threaten their goal.

The 2023 African Footballer of the Year struggled to establish himself in attack, recording just 12 touches and attempting three passes, two of which he completed.

He also won only three of his nine duels, lost possession six times and managed one shot, which failed to hit the target.

Those numbers reflected a difficult outing for Osimhen, who was unable to impose his usual physical presence or provide the attacking threat Galatasaray needed against the visitors.

Barcelona’s willingness to maintain a high defensive line left little room for error in Osimhen’s movement. His repeated offside offences disrupted Galatasaray’s attempts to build dangerous attacking moves and reduced his opportunities to test the opposition defence.

While the striker’s positioning has often helped him exploit spaces behind defenders, Tuesday’s performance highlighted the need for greater timing and coordination when facing teams that defend aggressively.

Galatasaray suffer Champions League setback

Galatasaray were unable to contain Barcelona as the visitors recovered from conceding the opening goal to claim a convincing 4-1 victory.

After Aleksey Batrakov put the hosts ahead, João Cancelo, Fermín López, Anthony Gordon and Karim Adeyemi scored for Barcelona to complete the comeback.

The result extended Barcelona’s winning streak to 10 matches and underlined their ability to respond after falling behind away from home.

For Galatasaray, however, the defeat raised questions about their ability to cope with elite opposition, particularly when their main attacking outlet struggles to make an impact.

Osimhen’s difficulties were especially noticeable given his importance to the Turkish club’s attacking plans. His inability to stay onside consistently limited Galatasaray’s options going forward and made it easier for Barcelona to manage the threat.

First blank of the season for Osimhen

The match also marked the first time this season that Osimhen failed to score or register an assist, ending his run of direct goal contributions.

Although one difficult performance does not diminish his attacking quality, the statistics against Barcelona provide Buruk with clear areas to address as Galatasaray seek to improve their performances in Europe.

Better timing of runs, improved coordination with his teammates and greater awareness of the defensive line could help the striker avoid similar problems in future matches.

Osimhen remains a key figure in Galatasaray’s attack, but Özkök’s criticism highlights how his effectiveness can be reduced when opponents successfully exploit his tendency to stray offside.

Buruk must now determine how best to adjust his side’s attacking movements to ensure the Nigerian forward can continue to threaten defences without repeatedly falling into their traps.