Nigeria Striker, Victor Osimhen helped to fire Galatasaray into the Turkish Cup final with his 30th goal of the season as the Istanbul giants defeated Konyaspor 5-1 in their semi-final clash on Tuesday.

The Super Eagles’ striker opened the scoring in the 26th minute when he connected with a brilliant cross from former Napoli teammate Dries Mertens, powering a header past the Konyaspor goalkeeper to give his side the lead.

This latest strike further cements Osimhen’s impressive goal-scoring form this season, having now netted 30 times across all competitions while providing six assists for the Turkish champions.

Uruguayan midfielder Lucas Torreira doubled Galatasaray’s advantage shortly before half-time, putting Okan Buruk’s men firmly in control of the tie at the Konya Buyuksehir Arena.

The second half saw Robert Sallai add two more goals for Galatasaray on either side of Pedrinho’s consolation effort for Konyaspor, completing the comprehensive 4-1 victory and securing their place in the final.

Osimhen was substituted in the 73rd minute for Yusuf Demir who bagged the fifth in the 91st minute.

The Nigeria international had previously played a crucial role in Galatasaray’s quarter-final triumph over Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahce, scoring twice to help eliminate their bitter rivals in a hard-fought 2-1 win at the Sukru Saracoglu Stadium earlier this month.

Galatasaray entered Tuesday’s clash having finished second behind Konyaspor in Group C during the cup’s group stage, collecting five points from three matches compared to their opponents’ seven points. However, the Istanbul side showed their superiority when it mattered most in the knockout phase.

The victory keeps Galatasaray on course for a domestic double this season, as they currently hold a five-point lead at the top of the Super Lig with six games remaining. The Istanbul giants are aiming to claim their first Turkish Cup since the 2016/17 campaign.

Osimhen has been in sensational form throughout the season, netting 21 goals in the Super Lig, six in the Europa League, and now three in Turkish Cup competitions during his loan spell from Napoli. The Nigerian striker is expected to leave the club this summer but has expressed his desire to help Galatasaray secure both league and cup honours before his departure.

Credit: punchng.com

Victor Osimhen fires Galatasaray into Turkish Cup final

Comments (0)