Galatasaray striker Victor Osimhen has expressed displeasure at the overall performance after his side almost let a three-goal advantage slip in their UCL playoff clash against Juventus on Wednesday.
The Turkish champions had recorded a comfortable 5-2 win from the first leg and only needed to see out the second leg, but produced a dismal performance in 90 minutes and allowed Juventus into the game.
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The Lions conceded three times as the Italian side completed the comeback, although Osimhen and Baris Alper Yilmaz’s goals in extra-time sent them through on a 7-5 aggregate scoreline.
Manuel Locatelli opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the first half, before Federico Gatti added a second goal in the second half, after Lloyd Kelly had been sent off for a second bookable offence.
Weston McKennie completed a stunning comeback for the hosts, although they relented in extra-time, allowing Galatasaray to score twice through Osimhen and Yilmaz and advance to the next round.
Osimhen warns Galatasaray against complacency in matches
Speaking after the match, Osimhen was relieved that Galatasaray secured qualification to the Round of 16, but was livid with the performance of his teammates during the match, calling for improvements in their upcoming matches.
“It gives some sense of relief to have progressed to the next round, but I have to be honest, I was disappointed with the performance of the whole team, and I have to give kudos to Juventus for their resilience”, the Super Eagles star stated.
“We qualified, but I think we have a lot to improve on if we have to play the big dogs. The performance wasn’t really good. Juventus deserved the win, but I’m happy we went through.
“I psyched up my teammates to know how difficult it is to play in Turin, but some of them are timid, and when I try to motivate them to do the best they can, some were scared.
“Juventus played better with a man down, so we have to improve. When I try to speak, and some of them don’t listen, I have nothing else to say”, Osimhen concluded.
Meanwhile, Galatasaray will find out their Round of 16 opponents between Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur when the draws are conducted on Friday.
