Nigeria striker Victor Osimhen admits Lille gave Galatasaray a tough Champions League test

Victor Osimhen has acknowledged the challenge posed by Lille after scoring in Galatasaray’s 4-2 victory over the French side in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday, as the Nigerian striker helped his team secure their first points of the 2026/27 campaign.

The former Lille forward found the net in the 61st minute at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy to complete a comeback victory for the Turkish champions in a thrilling encounter that saw both sides take the lead.

Osimhen praised Lille’s supporters and admitted that the hosts made life difficult for Galatasaray despite the visitors’ eventual success.

“I love this stadium. The fans are incredible. We had a tough match. I’m very happy for our team, we won,” Osimhen told the club’s official website.

“I also wish Lille good luck in their next matches. Lille players are very tough. They even took the lead. We managed to win the match together as a team. I’m happy we got the three points.”

Osimhen breaks Champions League drought

Osimhen’s goal was his first in the Champions League this season after he failed to score in Galatasaray’s opening two fixtures.

The Nigerian striker delivered when his team needed him most, finishing with his right foot in the 61st minute to extend Galatasaray’s advantage and put them in control of the contest.

His strike capped a strong individual performance against a club he previously represented, adding another significant moment to his return to familiar surroundings.

The 27-year-old’s contribution also earned him the Player of the Match award from the UEFA Technical Observer Group, which highlighted his persistent threat to Lille’s defence.

The group praised Osimhen’s intelligent movement off the ball, his ability to create space for teammates and his overall centre-forward play.

His performance underlined the importance of his presence in Galatasaray’s attack as the Turkish champions look to make progress in Europe’s premier club competition.

Galatasaray recover after Lille fight back

Galatasaray made an early statement when Yunus Akgun opened the scoring, but Lille responded through Soriba Diaoune, who scored twice to turn the game around and put the hosts ahead.

The French side’s response threatened to derail Galatasaray’s hopes of securing their first points of the campaign, but the visitors showed resilience to regain control.

Aleksey Batrakov restored parity before half-time, ensuring the teams went into the break level after an entertaining opening period.

Galatasaray then regained the lead after the restart when Nabil Bentaleb scored an own goal, handing the visitors an advantage they were determined to protect.

Osimhen subsequently made the difference with his 61st-minute finish, giving Galatasaray greater breathing room and leaving Lille with a difficult task in the closing stages.

The Turkish side held on to secure a valuable victory away from home, ending their search for a first win in the 2026/27 Champions League campaign.

Former club earns Osimhen’s respect

Despite scoring against his former employers, Osimhen was quick to acknowledge Lille’s quality and wish them well for their remaining matches.

His comments reflected the competitive nature of Wednesday’s encounter, in which Lille demonstrated their attacking threat by recovering from an early setback and taking the lead.

However, Galatasaray’s ability to respond proved decisive, with Osimhen’s goal providing the finishing touch to a collective performance that delivered all three points.

The Nigerian striker will now look to build on his breakthrough in the competition as Galatasaray continue their Champions League campaign, with his latest display offering encouragement following a difficult start in front of goal.